Time can be rewritten
by Smeedog
Summary: When evil surrounds you, what do you do? For River, this is common but when everything is changing and there is no one by your side, sometimes all you want is a home. 'Escaping' the library, was easy, but fleeing your past is even harder. An army is wanted, but what is needed is family, and a family is what she gets, just not exactly the 'normal' one she had in mind. Library Fix-it
1. Chapter 1

**N.B. This is my first ever fan fiction so please consider my feelings when leaving reviews and I have tried my best with spelling and grammar, but nobody is perfect... I don't own any of these characters or doctor who but I admire and love the idea and hope it continues for a long while yet. I am sorry to all readers if the 12th Doctor is not actually like his character in this story, I started writing this when I first found out who he was so please forgive any mistakes on that part. Finally I would like to thank my friends who forced me to finish this story when I felt lost as to an end to it! Please review and enjoy!**

The third moon rose higher and the towers seemed to sense it, their voices rising in both volume and dynamics. She looked up at him from his lap, his eyes staring straight at her, as if he wasn't really here, somewhere else, and somewhere dark and lonely...

"Sweetie?" he jumped and returned his gaze to the present,

"Yes honey!" He said happily, his face now masking some past pain.

"You've been acting funny all evening. What's going on?" River sat up from the Doctor's lap, she immediately missed the comfort his close presence brought.

"What? Nothing! Nothing's going on!"

He shifted uncomfortably from the picnic blanket and adjusted his bow tie.

"Oh so why are you so fidgety then?" she raised an eyebrow.

He looked back at her and then his face fell.

"My screwdriver isn't working." he pouted, resembling a grumpy toddler. He took out the sonic to demonstrate his point and his face screwed up further.

"Come here, let me take a look." River took the sonic off the one thousand year old child and took off the panel at the back.

"The wire's come out, that's all. What was all the fuss about?" River shook her head, curls bouncing everywhere. She held out the sonic but the doctor just looked at her.

"I want you to have it." He said simply.

River was confused. "But this is yours! Your screwdriver! I can't take it! Sweetie please take it back!" He took it out of her hand, his fingers softly lingering for a moment. The Doctor threw the sonic in the air, the sonic spun and landed back in his hand.

"Hmm..." his brow creased in thought.

"What is it now pretty boy?" River rolled her eyes.

The Doctor suddenly threw himself at River, his arms pulled her close to him and he planted a kiss on her neck before hiding his head in the place he planted the kiss. They stayed like this for a while, content in each other's presence before he, if a little reluctantly, let go of her. River noticed he took his finger off the sonic's button,

"Funny," she thought "It must have gone off by accident..." He looked at her again, deep in thought.

"I still want you to have it." his voice lowered in volume, it was almost a whisper. River took the screwdriver and placed it gently in her bag. She didn't like this, not one bit, he knew something, something about her, something important.

"What are you thinking?" he knew her far too well.

"Only how weird it must look to others who see us together." she lied "You know I look much older than you, they must think it's rather inappropriate of me..." The Doctor pouted again.

"Why? What's wrong with me showing affection toward my wife?" He smiled innocently, though the look behind the young face was sincere.

River laughed "Now Sweetie, how can you be taken as a serious threat when you act like you've just graduated from high school."

The pout returned and he replied, "Do I really look that young?" River tilted her head, curls tumbling like a waterfall as the wind suddenly picked up.

"To most, yes, but to me..." she paused as he pulled her close to him again as the wind started to cool River's bare arms and he looked straight into her eyes.

"To you?" he prompted, his real age suddenly etching into his young facial features.

"To me I see an ageless god, I see the man beneath the childish face. That man is far older and wiser than anyone I will ever know. That man is my friend, my protector and my husband, and I love him more than anyone!"

The Doctor stared blankly for a moment and then tears started to well in his eyes. River was worried, he never cried unless...

The Doctor saw the look on River's eyes, "Did she know?" he feared this day, more than most in his life, even his death didn't scare him as much as the towers of Darrillium.

River was about to ask him what he could not tell her, he knew, and before he could stop himself, he kissed her, trying to forget that this was the last time he would see her, feel her near him, his River, and he would cry a river, for that is the problem with time travel, there are fixed points, like her death...

He stopped kissing River and whispered into her ear, "I'll try to look older next time I regenerate then." He joked darkly.

River looked at him shocked. "Please don't joke about that, don't go changing too soon Sweetie, you could be a woman and somehow that just isn't you." The Doctor laughed heartily, it almost made him forget about what was going to happen to her, almost. He couldn't show her his pain, this was his cross to bare, not hers.

"I can't become a woman because i do actually have some control over what my regeneration's form is." he said warmly.

"Really!" River smiled. He still couldn't believe how honest he could be with her.

"My name is meant for a boy..." he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Oh of course," she placed her hands on his shoulders and brushed her lips across his ear, "It is such a handsome name." The Doctor swallowed, hard. River's hands moved gracefully to his cheeks and she placed her forehead against his, and sighed, her body relaxing against his hips.

The Doctor had never really felt this level of such intimacy, such trust, "Time can be rewritten." he thought. He looked at her content features, her eyelids closed and her breathing soft.

"I'm glad I can trust you River," he spoke softly, afraid she'd move away from his touch. Instead she simply sighed in agreement, "God she knows me well." he thought sadly. "Remember," he waited till her eyes meet his "I will always listen to you if I trust you." He was about to kiss her again when she put a finger to his lips.

"What's going to happen to me Doctor?" She said a hint of fear in the back of her voice.

He smiled, sadly, before kissing her finger on his lips. "Spoilers."


	2. Chapter 2

The TARDIS swung sideways, nearly taking Clara off her feet,

"Stupid piece of junk..." Clara muttered under her breath. The TARDIS must have heard her as it lurched the opposite way, making the Doctor's icy glare fix straight upon her,

"What have you said to her now?" his Scottish accent rising in pitch as the ship groaned in revolt against the Doctor's attempts to steer it.

"Nothing!" Clara lied, in response, the ship lurched again.

"Clara!" The Doctor reprimanded her, "You know she can hear you!"

Clara huffed, "Sorry ship!" she whined.

The Doctor gave her one of his new hawk stares. "Like you mean it Oswald." he said, from the sound of his tone, it was like he knew she hadn't meant it.

She sighed, "Fine, Sorry." she said begrudgingly. The ship slowed, allowing the Doctor time to turn to Clara and nod his thanks. He reached across to a blue switch. The TARDIS immediately stopped moving.

"We've stopped!" Clara smiled about to head toward the doors, glad to be rid of the scornful behavior of the ship when the Doctor said,

"I've just put the blue stabilisers on, she's still moving." Clara returned to the console.

"Just this once." he said softly.

"Why haven't you done this before? It is so much easier to travel this way?" Clara asked.

"And BORING! That's why I don't have the stabilisers,1" he spun around, his silver hair glistening under the purple glow of the lights.

"And I didn't know she had them until a few hundred years ago." he added quietly.

"Did the ship teach you?" Clara quizzed him.

"No," His face fell, a sad smile touching his lips. At the same time the lights of the TARDIS dipped slightly darker, like the ship was sad also. "Someone close to the both of us," referring to the TARDIS "They showed me the switch. They taught me so much." Clara was about to inquire further when the Doctor suddenly jumped to the other side of the console,

"Ah here we are," he pulled a lever and span around again, "The third moon of Protioxis, Knellious, famous for trading, green sandy beaches and THE tastiest Burger in the universe."

"Can I get out now?" Clara pleaded. The Doctor laughed, "Of course Clara!" He offered his hand to her, "Adventure waits..." And with that, they left the TARDIS.

"Just let me lock up!" The Doctor called after Clara, she had walked a little ahead to try to get a view of the area she was now in. They appeared to be in some form of alleyway. It was dusty and the air was dry. Clara turned to give him on of her sarcastic looks. "Alright clever boy, but I'm getting bor..." Clara watched in horror as the TARDIS shimmered out of sight, without the Doctor.

"Where are you going?" He shouted, clearly angry. The TARDIS vanished completely, and Clara ran to the Doctor's side.

"Doctor what do we do? How do we get home?" Clara panicked; she had exam papers to mark before Monday morning.

The Doctor wasn't listening, he walked forward and picked up a strange blue book of the floor, it was well loved and it seemed to resemble the TARDIS in design.

"Doctor what is that?" Clara came closer to him, but the Doctor turned the book away, so she couldn't see his face or the pages he was reading.

"The TARDIS needs to be somewhere else..." He said plainly, his voice thicker than usual.

"Without us?" Clara replied. The Doctor turned eyes burning with red outlines, he was crying.

"Doctor!" Clara cried out. She grabbed the book off him. He reached out but dropped his hand,

"Doctor is this yours?" Clara asked gently. The Doctor shook his head. "She gave it to me..." he said, his voice cracking.

"The TARDIS?" The Doctor looked up, shocked,

"What? No! Someone else." the words spilling out his mouth. Clara decided to press him further. She turned the book over in her hands. The cover was hot; the front had a gallifreyan symbol freshly burned into it. "This must be recent," Clara deduced, "The cover's still smoking." Clara was about to open the book when the Doctor slammed his hands over the book, "No!" he growled, he then took the book back off Clara and waved it to the sky, shaking his fist,

"You better have a good reason for defacing her diary," the Doctor shouted to the tops of the buildings in the small alleyway, the harsh sunlight, only now becoming visible to Clara, she hadn't got that far down the alley. "And you better fix it, she won't be very happy with you when she sees what you've done to her book!" The Doctor gently stroked the binding of the book before placing it gently in his coat pocket, patting the pocket softly after doing so.

He turned to Clara, "She'll be back when we need her, or when she needs us, whatever happens first."

The Doctor skipped past her and turned on his heels, "Come on, Let's go sight-seeing! We have plenty of time, or not, but the TARDIS can wait if she returns early."

"Doctor," Clara asked nervously "What did the TARDIS say to you in the message?" The Doctor's eyes went stone cold.

"Nothing..." He waved his hand to get her to walk on toward the main street but Clara knew he was just encouraging her to drop the subject.

"Doctor!" she stamped her foot.

He sighed, frustrated at having to be honest with her, "She told me she had to leave and..." he paused, the same sad smile returning from earlier,

"Time will be rewritten."


	3. Chapter 3

_"As we are born, so we shall die, but not here, not in the library, where you can never die, only die inside. They've given up trying to get me to tell them about how I know the man who saved them, saved me, last time I was truly alive. The Doctor always pulled off the impossible and it always amazed me, but he doesn't need me anymore, last time we met he said goodbye to me, and I to him, on Trenzalore, at his grave, he said he loved me once and I know he meant it, once we had love, so much love, but that's gone now, he doesn't need me anymore, he's got Clara and he's got closure, and I guess I have, sometimes, when Charlotte's awake. Ella and Joshua surprised me; they were like Charlotte, real children with their minds uploaded because of a childhood illness. I found out the upload went wrong and managed to reprogram the core. For a while I had three marvelous children but then Dr. Moon deleted them against my will. He said it would free up space, I cried for weeks, alone again, only Charlotte was there to comfort me, her smile gets me through. She's my adopted daughter, and I'm the only true mother she's ever known, so we're close, but she doesn't know about the Doctor and me either...I'm writing this in my diary, well it's a virtual log, but it'll do. It's so if anyone wants to find me, or know what happened at the Library, then they can simply look up what happened by asking the data core. I'm not like the others; they spend their time looking at the future, the set unchangeable future. I detest endings, especially those you know are coming, so I spent my time working out how he did it, how he got a copy of me...and I did. At the towers, he scanned me and it turns out the sonic kept making a copy of me up to the point my physical body died. It could best be described as a constant live stream of data, from me to the sonic. He really is a genius, the Doctor, remember that, all of you who listen to me in the data file, remember just how clever he is, and then never let him know, his ego doesn't take well to beefing up, tends to make him all cocky, and then someone else will die, unless he knows it himself, then everyone lives. That may be confusing, but trust me, I more than anyone, know what sort of man he is, at his worst, and his best...There is no more that needs to be said, just let me sleep. My name is associated with so much hate, and anger. To many I am the woman, who killed the Doctor, but to him, I am the woman who saved him, and he is the man who saved me. Goodbye Sweetie..."_

River took her finger off the panel and looked at Charlotte, the girl looked back and smiled,

"Mummy, I know the visitors will love the new and final story you sent them. Did you know over 20 billion life forms have read it? 'The silence in the library' is one of the greatest stories ever published from here, and the best thing is, everyone thinks it was a lost piece of literature, by an unknown writer."

River loved Charlotte's passion for reading, they would both tell each other stories every night, and of course River would tell the tales of her and the Doctor, omitting details of her name of course,(it was far too dangerous) Charlotte loved the Doctor stories the most.

River was about to put Charlotte to bed when she heard an urgent knock on the door. She opened it to reveal Anita and Evangelista at the door, both had tears running down their faces.

"It's going, all of it!" Evangelista shouted. River tried to calm them down but Anita just yanked River out of the warm comfort of her home and into the cold of the winter night air. "This is the time when the Doctor would give me his coat..." River thought sourly.

"They both vanished." Anita said. Charlotte had run out carrying River's and her own coat, the fur nearly covering her head.

"Careful darling," River said as Charlotte nearly fell on the newly formed ice in the street. "Here now, we'll be o.k., put your coat on, is that better?" Charlotte nodded but huddled close to her new mother's side. Anita dragged River by her wrist; her finger nails digging into the soft part of her palm. It seemed to be getting light but it was 11pm, Charlotte had asked to see the stars and River had finally agreed to let Charlotte stay up late. Anita stopped dead in her tracks, "There," Anita pointed to a spot in the grass, "One second, the two Dave's were stood there and the next they just dissolved."

"Dissolved? What did it look like?" River said as she shook free of Anita's iron grip.

"Something like this..." The group turned to face Evangelista. Her features seemed blurred.

"Charlotte," River knelt beside the girl and she turned to River, tears falling down her face "Can you see into the Library? What's going on about out there? Darling, please I know you're scared but you have got to be brave now. What's happening in the Library?" Charlotte nodded and closed her eyes tightly. River looked over at Evangelista, her arms and lower legs had now disappeared, she still stood there though, as if she was just image, overlaid on the dark background.

"Men in soldier's gear...and a woman, no two women, one wears an eye patch, the other, she is surrounded by strange ugly white squid men, they are wearing suits." Charlotte turned on the spot trying to see other details. River fell back on her knees "The silence," River breathed out, terrified "How did they find me?" Anita who had been trying to calm Miss Evangelista turned at River speaking. "You know them?"

River laughed bitterly "We have history..." she said quietly.

"Who are the Silence Mummy?" Charlotte whimpered. River sighed and ran her fingers through her messy hair.

"A religious order, dedicated to one purpose, to stop the Doctor. Their leader, Tasha Lem, is the woman surrounded by the silence priests, the ugly men you described. Those priests have a way of making you forget ever seeing them. The woman with the eye patch is Madam Kovarian, she and I don't exactly see eye to eye." Charlotte nodded. "This is your past Mummy, isn't it?"

River was about to answer when she realised something, only her and Charlotte were left. River stood as Anita's eyes vanished from view. The light grew closer.

"Run!" River shouted and grabbed Charlotte's hand. "Mummy I can't see. I'm still watching the library." River picked up Charlotte into her arms and increased her pace; the whole world around them seemed to be fading to white. "The core is being deleted. Whoever is doing this knows computers well, they seem to be searching for something, is it you mummy?" Charlotte said, opening her eyes briefly.

"It's highly likely sweet heart. I know this sounds a lot to ask but can you find a way to block them from getting me?" River asked. Charlotte shut her eyes and nodded. River tried to get back to the house but as she turned the corner to the road, nothing greeted her, just blinding white light. River shielded her eyes and turned back the way she came but as she rounded the corner of the wall facing the park white light flooded her vision, making her stumble backward. River placed Charlotte on the ground behind the wall, the light hadn't reached it yet. "I've linked your data file with mine, that way if they move you, I'll move with you, and I've got the top security so we're both safe mummy. We can just rebuild our house after they've gone." Charlotte opened her eyes smiling but her face soon fell. River looked at her daughter; something told her no amount of security would deter the silence from recapturing their goal. If the Doctor destroyed their top army base at demon's run and they still survived then no mere human defence would stop them.

"Come here Charlotte dear." River wrapped her arms around her little girl. "Everything's going to be alright, I promise." Charlotte looked up suddenly from hiding her head in River's neck. "There's a man in a hood in the core centre, he's behind the library data being destroyed! I can see him using a glowing stick." River's gaze turned icy, "What colour is the glow?" she asked coldly.

"Yellow...is it the Doctor mummy? Why would he destroy us if he saved us all before? You said he's a good man!" Charlotte cried angrily.

"The Doctor is a good man Charlotte. The best man I've ever and will ever know. That is not him in the core, no, there is only one being in the entire universe of space and time that could be, and be thankful Charlotte, be thankful that we won't be around to meet him, because only the Doctor can defeat him." River sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall.

"Why doesn't the Doctor come then? He came last time you called." A tear ran down River's cheek and she squeezed her daughter tighter, "I'm not alive to him anymore, he can't hear us here, not even if I scream for him to help me..." River looked down and saw Charlotte's and her own body starting to fade.

"I failed you Charlotte, I failed to protect you, I'm so sorry!" River sobbed. "No mummy, you haven't failed me," Charlotte yawned "You loved me more than anyone ever has, you gave me love mummy, and you could never fail me." River smiled as Charlotte closed her eyes and fell to sleep.

"At least she doesn't feel the end," River smiled then looked up at the last spot in the core world, the night sky. "Wherever you are my love, just know that my death was quick and painless, just know that every adventure we had, I look back on with such joy and just because you aren't here for my end doesn't mean you're not with me, you're always with me sweetie, you're always here to me," The night sky vanished and River closed her eyes for the end. "I love you sweetie... Goodbye." white entered her eyes and her mind went blank.

"Hello Melody." That voice, River knew that voice. It would haunt her nightmares, making her wake in cold sweats, screaming and crying. The Doctor would always come then and whisk her away to some beautiful alien sky or place she'd never heard of, he knew it hurt her, that voice and sometimes, when the running was over and the adventure was done, he would hold her close to his beating hearts, to drown out the voice and that horrid merciless song that would play in her head. "Think of his hearts now Melody, be brave girl, be brave." River opened her eyes. In front of her were Madam Kovarian (the owner of that insufferable voice), Tasha Lem and a figure in a black cloak, his head well covered by the hood "I've seen you two before," River indicated wryly to the two women, "But I don't think we've been introduced, Professor River Song, archeologist." she smiled, disdain clearly part of her features.

"They do not wish to speak to you Melody." Tasha Lem spat out in River's direction.

"Didn't I just say my name?" River stood up off the ground and looked around, she wasn't in the Library any more. The room she was in was grey and wet, the blue and yellow neon lights that hung above gave the room a stern, uninviting feeling. River felt she knew this place. She looked down to see Charlotte, being a hologram meant she really didn't feel anything at all, just a numb sensation all the time, like she's been stunned. It was like that on Trenzalore, she couldn't really feel him either, the Doctor's touch was just air to her, she hadn't felt real in nearly 1000 years. Charlotte was leaning against River's leg, still asleep. Tasha Lem walked forward and slapped River to the floor, waking up Charlotte.

"Mummy, where are we?"

"I don't know sweetheart, but just stay by me o.k." River stood up again,

"How did you touch me? I should be dead." Lem and Kovarian just laughed.

"Dead! Not yet, we haven't finished with you Melody Pond." Kovarian sneered.

"O.k. So answer me this," River held Charlotte close to her side. "How are we both still here? And where exactly is this place?"

Lem stepped forward. " This is Storm Cage; well at least a new improved one, just for you, Melody. And I don't know how but this ingenious being brought you and your sniveling wretch of an adopted daughter back here." Lem pointed to the hooded figure.

"Why?" River asked plainly.

"Can't tell you Melody, you might tell the enemy," Lem replied "And we can't have that."

"Well I'm guessing you're going to try and kill him, or have you moved past trying to be a successful cult?" River smirked as Lem and Kovarian frowned.

"You have no idea what we have planned, the Doctor will remain silent!" Kovarian screeched, and with that she left the room. As the she did so, River noticed that in fact there were more than just two adversities in the room, Charlotte had now stood up as well, and rubbing her eyes she said

"Mummy? Who are they? Do you know them as well?" The girl turned back to her mother,

"The headless monks, they work for the silence also, just don't look at them sweetheart, they tend not to respond well to non-members staring at them. Come close to me, that's it! I won't let anyone hurt you." Charlotte ran into her mother's side and held on to her for all her worth. Lem walked over to them.

"Did you know last time we came across the Doctor he died? From the look on your face Melody, I would say not. He went to Trenzalore again, a town called Christmas, he stayed there for over 600 years, to protect them from all of us." River couldn't believe she was hearing this. "Trenzalore! But that's where his grave is! You can't be right, you just can't!" He isn't dead, i'd know!" River felt the anger bubbling in her stomach, Lem was a dead woman.

"Why would YOU know?" Lem asked.

"I'm married to him!" Charlotte looked up, shocked.

"Mummy? Is that true?" she said, obviously scared.

"Of course it's not true," Lem spat at Charlotte, who, now clearly terrified, hid behind River. " In an aborted time line maybe, but not really, he would have said when he was on Trenzalore."

It was River's turn to feel smug. "And just why would he have told you?"

"He kissed me." Lem hissed in reply. River laughed. "Why are you finding that so amusing?" Lem asked curiously. "He kissed a Dalek once! Doesn't mean he told he Dalek anything, he probably kissed you for being brave for once in your pointless existence." River laughed again but that was when the hooded man stood forward and pointed for Lem to leave, River stopped. Lem left, very quickly, fear etched into her features.

"Well, only me and you left," River smirked, though inside she was trembling, "He told me about you, how to recognise you, how to escape you, even showed me all your forms so I could hide from you, but I never thought we'd meet face to face," The hooded figure brought his hands to the edge of his hood, and took of the cloak, "Master." River growled.

"It's good the two idiots have gone; now the clever people can play." The Master sneered at the locked door.

"We can hear you, Master." Lem called,

"An intercom system, that actually works here," River gasped sarcastically "my you have made improvements." The Master chuckled eerily,

"I can see why he liked you, River." He spoke slowly, making every word linger like an icy breeze. His eyes travelled up and down River's body, making her feel a sick, heavy feeling in her throat and stomach.

"What makes you think he liked me?" she asked, shifting her body uncomfortably from left to right, his eyes still followed her.

"You're not dead..." he said, moving over to a desk in the corner.

"Same can be said of you, it doesn't prove anything. How are you alive anyway?" River retorted. The Master chuckled.

"You are fiery aren't you." a sick grin spread across his face, "As an archeologist, take a look at this old relic for me, won't you?" The Master opened a drawer and held a satin bag out to her. River took the bag off him and pulled open the toggle top of the bag. She tipped out the contents and gave a cry.

"It's a pocket watch, like the ones you and the Doctor used to store your consciousness, except there's a device on it."

The Master grabbed back the watch "Clever, clever girl, the device is so I can give you a physical form to interact with." River took a step back from the man in front of her.

"You mean we," indicating Charlotte "are in the watch."

The Master hummed in agreement. "Good deduction, but not precise enough. To be exact, you, River, are in the watch. I downloaded you from the library core. Little Charlotte just came along for the ride, we don't need her..."

"The data file," Charlotte piped up "I joined the security protocols so we wouldn't be separated in the library." The Master knelt down in front of Charlotte, "On second thoughts, maybe it was good you survived, Charlotte Lux, you could be useful." Charlotte puffed out her chest.

"It's Charlotte Song now, River adopted Me." she said proudly. "I bet you make your mother proud." he replied and reached out toward her. River grabbed his wrist and swung him round, placing herself between Charlotte and the monster before her. The Master grunted in pain as River twisted his wrist tighter,

"The question is, are you proud of your new mother Charlotte? She was engineered to kill, you know, by the silence, do you want her to raise you Charlotte, this psychopath?" The Master turned his head toward Charlotte who, scared by her Mother's sudden turn, had backed away, "Mummy please stop I'm frightened!" River let go of the Master's wrist. The man stood and brushed himself down.

"Right, down to business." he walked over to a console hidden by darkness and typed away, a panel slid backward and sideways,

"May I show you, your salvation, River," The Master waved his hand artistically, "It took a while but I found a way to store it here. Do you know what this is clever girl?" River shook her head; she couldn't take her eyes off it. The strange purple and gold swirls seemed to transform as quickly as lightning to red and blue, twisting and writhing as if trying to escape.

"If anyone else were to look upon it they would die instantly, but not us, and my race, and Charlotte, you're not affected because you're not alive, well not yet." He chuckled, the darkness in his eyes grew, cold bleak unending darkness.

"An opening to the Time Vortex..." River whispered. The Master clapped slowly,

"Bravo, Bravo. I must say, the Doctor must be regretting every moment that he exists without such a clever little pet like you! Clever little Professor River Song." he jaunted.

"I am not his pet, I'm his family!" she replied, still transfixed by the glow of the Vortex.

"Well where is he then? If he's your family, he should come for you! From the sound of Tasha Lem, he's dead. There's no one to help you now!"

The smile the Master gave turned River's stomach further, making her turn away from the Vortex to face him, anger now clearly displayed on her face.

"Then why do want me then? If he's dead then what use is his bespoke psychopath? TELL ME!" She screamed.

"Good question," he nodded, "You know he's alive, why and how, even I don't know, but you do. A time lord however small that part is of you is within you, that is important to me. The silence however want you for a different reason, he would come for you, if you called, so we will make you call for him, and he will come and then he will die." he laughed coldly.

"I would rather die than call him to his death." River replied confidently.

"Who says you have the choice, you aren't going to call him Melody Pond. You are going to scream for him to come to you." the master held up the watch, inspecting it with a raptor's eye.

"I would never give you the pleasure, besides; I'm a collection of ones and zeroes. I can't feel any pain to scream about." River smiled, she'd won, beaten him, without a drop of blood spilt.

"That has got to be a first." River thought smugly.

"No, you are right again; you aren't alive, are you. Well here is where the fun bit is...Have a safe trip Melody, and you too Charlotte!" The Master swung his arm round in a massive circle,

"Please, NO!" River screamed, before the watch flew into the vortex.

"See you soon, Melody Pond!" The Master waved at them. And with that River and Charlotte were both pulled into the Vortex after the watch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we go, chapter 4...So what was the TARDIS doing?**

London,2014.

"Oh Jack, just because he winked at you, doesn't mean he wants to sleep with you," Mickey said, "And when she smiled at you it doesn't mean she thought you were hot, she's an air hostess, she smiles at everyone." If Martha hadn't have been eating at the time, she probably would have slammed the two grown men's heads together, instead she shook her head and took another bite of her sandwich.

"Well she gave a special smile to me..." Jack retorted hastily.

"Yeah, yeah, Jack, of course!" Mickey leaned back in his chair. The three of them were on lunch break from UNIT work, they couldn't save the world on an empty stomach, though, really, it was more the Doctor saving the world than them. Mickey described UNIT's role as 'clean up'.

"Do you think he misses us?" she asked suddenly.

The two men went quiet and the three of them sat in silence until jack piped up, "well with a new face of a 12 year old, he is probably trying to hit it off with some young Earth women," he paused as Mickey reached protectively for his wife," Sorry Mickey..." he turned to Martha, "Sorry Martha..." Mickey continued eating, satisfied that Jack had used manners for more than once that day.

Martha was about to continue eating when she heard a familiar noise. The men heard also and all three jumped to their feet as a blue box appeared before them and the doors opened.

"He must have heard us talking about him!" Jack cheered, as they all ran inside the TARDIS. Martha looked around, still big, but it was dark now, and had an eerie purple glow, "oh I liked the coral." she sighed. What was also missing was a certain mad man in the box. "The Doctor's not here," Mickey said as all three searched "Where is he?" As he said that the TARDIS doors shut and it sprang to life, taking three very hungry passengers with her.

London, 1814

"Oi potato brain, get your hat, I'm not cleaning it again!" Jenny cried at the Sontaran. Vastra held back a laugh as her maid chased the dwarfish figure around the room. Trenzalore over and done with, the three of them felt a few weeks of rest would do them good. Vastra herself just enjoyed the time to contemplate the weird behavior of the Doctor, not that he wasn't normally odd, but his erratic change near his grave had startled her. One second he was staring into his own time stream then he randomly grabbed the air and well...

"kissed it!" Jenny said softly. Vastra jumped, and turned to see her beautiful earth girl sat watching her from a nearby stool, Strax was sat in a huge chair opposite, "We were thinkin' of it two madam," Jenny explained "He was talking to someone, but he was so quiet, I couldn't really hear who he was talking to." Strax agreed. "I heard him say he didn't know how to say it?" Strax face scrunched up," What is it?" The two women turned to each other " I have no idea Strax, but whatever it is, for him it must be something we have no problem doing." Jenny smiled, "Very well deduced madam, I'll just go get your tea..." A noise, that noise, "The TARDIS!" Jenny said and ran behind Vastra's chair. Strax stood, "He must have heard us talking about him...come let us apologise to our mighty friend for scrutiny of his mad behavior." All three, scared with the thought of an angry Doctor, waited till the door opened. When it did, what they saw confused them further.

"Ugh I'm gonna be sick..." Jack gagged, "And not just because I'm starving." Martha straightened her hair and looked toward the door, and screamed. In front of the doors stood two hideous aliens, one tall and reptilian, the other, well it was potato like. Jack and Mickey both pulled out their guns, as did the two aliens.

"What's it gonna be, head or heart?" Jack growled. "Where's the Doctor? What have you done with him?" Vastra shouted back.

"We could ask you the same thing!" Mickey said furiously.

The five stayed in standoff for what felt like hours, until a young woman ran forward from the aliens, Martha stood in front of her two boys.

"Who are you?" The young woman asked, her cockney accent made her seem friendlier than the others, Martha could trust her. "I'm Martha, I used to travel with the Doctor, this is Jack and Mickey," she indicated to the gun holding idiots beside her. "They used to travel with him as well."

"I'm Jenny, this is Madam Vastra, and this is Strax, we're the Doctor's friends." the two women smiled, and the guns were lowered by both sides.

"So," Vastra walked forward, followed by the others," why are you here? And also, where is the Doctor?" she asked.

"We don't know where he is, but why we're here, well apparently the same reason as you." As Martha said this, the TARDIS doors shut and all six were whisked away, confusion echoing in all their minds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Back to Stormcage...**

The pain was unbearable; it felt like her entire chest was going to burst. River cried out, she searched for Charlotte but couldn't find her, golden light was everywhere. It was silent, and peaceful, but painful, so River screamed out again. And then she heard a voice.

"Melody Pond, you are the child of the TARDIS, the saviour of our brother, the time lord known as the Doctor, you are his wife, we will save you, but in doing so you must sacrifice something your husband holds dear." River gasped, there was a familiar drum beat in the back of her mind. "What do you want from me?" she spun to find the source of the voice but the light around her just swirled faster. "It's not want we want, it's what you must give to survive."

"If I survive, he will suffer, you know that, the silence will use me to make him suffer." the voice didn't reply.

"You heard me clearly, I would rather die than watch him suffer a single moment, let me go, my time is over, we all have an end, just let Charlotte go, let her live, please!" River cried into the golden vortex. Suddenly the vortex went red and the voice boomed into River's ears.

"Your life has only just begun, you really think the library was it! You have time lord DNA, that is what will save you now, live again Melody Pond, live as a time lord."

The pain engulfed her, and the vortex fully entered her mind pulling it apart, her chest felt like there was a giant weight growing inside her, then nothing.

River opened her eyes, the drums were slightly louder than before. She was back in the room in storm cage. Charlotte, tears streaming down her face, clung tightly to River's waist. River turned her daughter from the vortex and held her close. "Hush now, hush now dear, I'm here, you're safe, see no harm done, let's have a look at you." River gently checked Charlotte over, she remembered something her husband did to check beings he met were healthy. River placed her forehead against Charlotte's and concentrated, "All gone," River was amazed, "You're cured Charlotte, completely..." Charlotte rubbed away her tears, "What about you Mother, are you alright?" The drums grew louder still, it started to hurt now.

"I'm fine sweetheart, just fine." River lied, smiling softly. It was then River saw the monks advancing in, the Master was sat in the darkness, behind a desk, in one corner.

"Take the girl away," The Master called out to the monks .

"Mummy? NO mummy! Don't leave me!" The monks walked slowly toward the pair of them, humming menacingly. "Where are you taking her?" River growled.

"To a cell, we don't want to harm her, there wouldn't be any leverage we could use against you then." The Master chuckled darkly. River embraced her daughter and then said, "I'll be back soon sweetheart, I promise, go with them, don't give them reason to hurt you. I love you Charlotte!" Charlotte was led away by the monks crying silently, "I love you two mummy." River turned back to the Master but before she could speak the drums in her head grew so loud that she clutched her head in pain, her hands covering her ears. The drums grew louder still, holding her head did nothing so River took her hands off her ears, "Oh my god..." she gasped, blood was covering her palms. River touched her ears, sticky, warm liquid greeted her, she felt sick. The Master said something but River couldn't hear him, the drums consumed all noise. He grabbed her, and she tried to fight him but the pain from the drums had disorientated her movements, and she could do nothing but let him push her toward the vortex again.

Golden light reentered her eyes but this time she saw her past, taken to New York, the spaceman coming to eat her, escaping to the streets, her first death in the back alley, recaptured and indoctrinated to kill the Doctor, being raised with her parents, being shot by Hitler, killing then saving the Doctor, university... Lake Silencio, storm cage in the day, Doctor in the night, married to her true love...the library. The drums ceased and then the voice from before returned,

"Hear your new name, you know what to do, our sister of time. Let your silence fall until the time you see our lost brother again, make your choice, be mad, be inspired, or run...but remember, let your silence fall until you find our lost brother, the Doctor needs his true wife..." River listened closely and stored her new name carefully in her mind,

"It wasn't nearly as wonderful as his name." River reminisced sadly. She tried to turn from the vortex and run but the Master still stood firm, holding her right into the full path of the vortex , the golden energy started to cause her to convulse, it was flooding her system. The Master must have noticed as he let go of her arms, and River could finally escape. She ran to the door but it was locked. River looked around but could find no other way out.

"I have to give it to you Professor Song, you really are quite amazing," The master straightened his jacket "It's really quite a shame." The doors opened and the monks grabbed her arms, as the Master shut the opening to the vortex, "It's really quite a shame that your clock is already ticking..." he laughed, it sent chills running down River's spine. The monks dragged her backwards through the storm cage, the Master's laugh lingering in the corridor.

They pulled her along in silence and left her in the cell that she had known for many years, this time however, she had permanent company. Charlotte ran into River's arms and they both fell to the cold floor.

"Mummy! Mummy I missed you!" River picked up Charlotte and sat her on the cot against the wall, then curled up on the bed next to her.

"Talk to me Mummy, please, what's wrong? You haven't said a word." Charlotte lent her head against River's shoulder and shut her eyes. "It doesn't matter, you can tell me when you've slept mum." And charlotte fell to sleep, comforted by her mother's presence. River, however, couldn't sleep at all, she brought two fingers to her neck, and a tear fell down her face,

" He's going to hate me now..." she thought. River looked out through the bars, and straight at her old adventuring gear, hung up on the wall, vortex manipulator, guns and all.

"Careless," River thought, "I think it's time I test how good this new storm cage is" she smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**The TARDIS is still being a secretive little/infinitely big thing...**

"Oi, get your butt down here you big idiot" Amy shouted up to her husband in his room, tea was ready and she wasn't in the mood today for his usual slow antics, she was tired, "I had a long day two!" Amy thought angrily, and she had. "Two robberies, one assault and three speeding cars, before lunchtime." The life of a New York cop was certainty busy. Rory trudged downstairs, his hair messy and pointing out in all directions, "Coming Amy..." he yawned. Both sat down to eat, when suddenly a strange glow surrounded them, then a familiar noise filled their ears...

Rose and the Doctor sat by Westminster and ate their ice creams, well most called him John now, but he was still the Doctor to her. Her metacrisis, mega mad Doctor, and Rose loved it. They had been married for nearly five years and yet, "It seemed like yesterday." Rose thought aloud, John turned his head away from people watching and smiled, "Oh yeah, marriage, never thought that was gonna happen to me, and now it has..." He continued eating, Rose's face turned sour "And?" she said, a slight resentment in her tone.

"And...I love you?" The man said, his voice rising a few octaves.

"Good." Rose smiled and placed her head on her husband's shoulder. Both sat like this for while then noticed a glow around them, and then a familiar noise filled their ears...

"I am so sorry. But we had the best of times..." the doctor walked closer.

"No! Please!" Donna cried.

"The best. Goodbye." he advanced toward her.

"No! PLEASE! NO!" Donna felt a strange tingling in her body then a flash of light blinded her and, and nothing, she still remembered him. Just not all the weird time lord stuff, he did it, she was fine. Donna opened her eyes to see six shocked faces staring at her, and more importantly, no Doctor.

"Donna?"

"Jack?" The time agent cocked his head to one side,

"How are you here?" She looked at the other passengers and replied "I was about to have my memory wiped, and then, then i was here, fine, no problem, no Doctor Donna, just Donna...why is the TARDIS purple?"

"I think there are bigger questions," Mickey turned to two new arrivals, "How are you here?"

"Hello?" the passengers turned,

"Rose?" Mickey gasped. There in front of them, stood Rose Tyler, and, "Doctor?" Martha said. The spikey haired man looked up and smiled, "Nope, well yes, but no, I'm not the Doctor, I came from his..."

"Handy?" Donna and Jack said in unity. The man smiled, "Hiya folks!"

The group were about to discuss how this was even possible when,

"O.k. So what is going on?" the group turned to see two people stood in the other corner of the console, "Alright raggedy man,what's going on?" Vastra, Jenny and Strax all gasped, "But the angels, they took you!" Vastra walked over to them, Amy and Rory joined the mismatch of past and current companions, "We were, then, we glowed and we were here." Rory said, " The Doctor must have saved us!" Amy said gleefully.

"And me!" Donna squealed.

The group all told their respective stories, then Amy suddenly turned to Rory. "Rory, Where's our little girl?" The group were confused, Martha walked forward, "What's her name? Who is she?" Amy was about to answer when a strange Scottish accent answered for her,

"River Song."


	7. Chapter 7

**I promise I'll get back to the TARDIS soon but for now it's back to Stormcage and to River for a not so successful great escape...**

To be fair to the guard, he wasn't the most stupid River had ever faced, but then walking straight up to a cell and reaching out for Charlotte to calm her crying, was pretty stupid, especially when you couldn't see the other prisoner. River had hidden herself from the guard behind the concrete pillar in the corner, and knocked him clean out when Charlotte lured him in, crying her eyes out because her mother had 'escaped' and'left' her alone.

River took the keys from the groaning guard and opened the cell doors, Charlotte stood up from her crossed leg position on the floor, and wiped her eyes, "Mummy did I do good?" River nodded and hugged her daughter. "Where do we go now Mum?" River turned and grabbed her possessions from the hook. Guns holstered, she finally felt more like herself again, her vortex manipulator was strapped on her wrist and her satchel slung over her shoulder. She looked inside her trusted bag and smiled, the modified sonic was still there. "The silence must have thought it was just some old relic and left it in my bag, the Doctor, he left it there, even when he only just knew me, he had some trust in me. The silence must have found the bag hidden in the core when they found me." River thought. River spotted her hallucinogenic and sleeping draft lipsticks and quickly put them in her hiding place, "No one is ever going to find them there." she chuckled to herself. "What was that?" The two escapees turned at a clanging noise, River's hand moved instinctively to her right handed gun, it was her favourite "Guards?" Charlotte asked, her voice a whisper. River nodded again, they ran down the corridor, guards shouting for them to used the sonic to open the doors before they got to them. River felt funny all of sudden but waved the feeling off as hunger, she was starting to remember some of the old time lord abilities she'd lost when she gave her regenerations to the Doctor. Not all of them were lost, reduced aging had stuck around, much to River's liking, the others though, like the enhanced senses, brain capacity and stamina had been severely reduced or like the mind compass lost completely. The mind compass was at this moment the most important thing River had regained, she lead Charlotte through the new layout of storm cage, almost like she saw a sat nav in front of her. Charlotte started to slow down so River picked her up, "Mummy," Charlotte panted " What happened to you?" River shook her head and opened a further three doors, she saw the entrance, "So close, we're gonna make it!" River thought. Suddenly a pain shot through River's leg making her fall to the ground, she pushed Charlotte away as she fell and the young girl yelped at her mother's sudden action. River touched her leg, blood greeted her. "Mummy, the guards shot you!" River scrambled to her feet, pain shooting down her leg, "So much for an easy escape." River thought miserably. She looked at Charlotte and then knew what had to done, "At least brain capacity was back on full form." she surmised. River took off the vortex manipulator and used the sonic to pinpoint the TARDIS, "Take care of my little girl Sweetie," River thought "She is kind of your adopted daughter, since we're mar..." it was then it struck her, "I have a new name, so we're not married any more. Just one piece of bad news after another." River strapped the manipulator to Charlotte's wrist and kissed her daughter, holding her to her chest, "Mum, what's going on?" River stood up, and pointed the sonic at the device, "Mummy? Please Mummy!" Charlotte vanished, lightning marking her departure. River turned to face the on coming soldiers, and swapped the sonic for her other gun, just as she was about to shoot, a massive pain hit her tummy, pulling her to her knees and making her drop her guns, she looked down expecting blood, but there was nothing, the pain was like something beating her in the abdomen from the inside, she whimpered, the guards reached her and kicked her guns away, forced her to the floor and held her in place. The pain numbed and vanished but River couldn't move, she was held fast by the guards. A familiar voice from behind made River growl, "Why Melody, what are you doing out so late?" Kovarian...

"Just taking a stroll in the evening air." River thought, she couldn't speak, her silence must fall until she found the Doctor, suddenly Kovarian stamped down on River's back, "Where did you send Charlotte? What were you planning?" both questions made Kovarian press deeper into River's back. Suddenly Kovarian's boot was removed from River's back and Tasha Lem appeared from the River's blind spot, Lem's heels clicking on the wet, concreted floor.

"Hang her up by her wrists, just enough so she can balance on her toes, no shoes, strip her of anything she can use to escape." The guards pulled River to her feet and pushed her back to her cell. The guards stripped her of all her newly rediscovered possessions, and undid her boots before yanking them off her feet. One guard tore the hem of her dress and it caused the lower part of the only piece of clothing River currently owned to be ripped away, most of her legs were now exposed to the freezing wet climate of the planet where storm cage was situated. The guards then forced her arms above her head and clanked tight cuffs to her wrists, they were linked to a thick metal chain. Ankle cuffs were then also locked in place after River kicked two of the guards to the floor, Lem and Kovarian laughed. River's toes only just touched the floor when the guards pulled the chain tight, winding the chain up into a pulley system into the ceiling. River would gain balance for a split second then slip on the wet floor and her wrists would take the strain of her entire body, the chains would dig into her hands, finally, when River gave up struggling, she closed her eyes, "What do I do Sweetie? I have to get out, to warn you of the Master, I have to get to you!" River thought, gritting her teeth against the pain of her arms, she opened her eyes and looked up to the chains but all she see was the blood running in a lacy pattern on her arms, she looked across at Tasha Lem, Lem smiled, pleasure displayed clearly on her face.

"Melody, It's time to contact the Doctor, look lively now, I want you on your best behaviour."

River hung her head, and hid a solitary tear that ran down her cheek, "I'm sorry my love." she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**I must warn you of a slight amount of pain in this chapter, but don't worry just keep reading... so back we go...Back to the TARDIS!**

Clara ran behind the Doctor, his sonic had buzzed when they were watching a parade of three headed aliens whom the Doctor said, were all called Sheila, and he shouted as he ran through the back streets, that the TARDIS had returned. He was pulling her along at a fast pace then stopped suddenly, nearly making Clara trip over onto her face, he caught her and marched up to the TARDIS doors muttering at the blue box about how she had worried him sick and asked "Well, where is she?" at least three times. He paused and looked back at Clara, smiled, and clicked his fingers, the doors opened to reveal a crowd of confused and irritated people.

"But the angels, they took you!" Vastra was talking to two people who she couldn't see "But how are they here?" Clara thought, she noticed Jenny and Strax nearby, at least here were some faces she knew. Two people, one, the long legged women, Clara recognised but the other, a small framed man with broad shoulders and a large nose spoke for the both of them to Vastra "We were, then, we glowed and we were here." the large nosed man said, " The Doctor must have saved us!" the long legged women said gleefully, her Scottish accent seemed similar to the Doctor's own.

"And me!" Another older ginger women squealed.

The group all fell into conversation about their respective pasts, seemingly unaware of the two people who had just entered. Clara didn't hear all of it, but from she gathered, they were all ex companions of the Doctor. The ginger long legged woman who she overheard was called Amy suddenly turned to the large-nosed man, who was apparently her husband Rory, "Where's our little girl?" The group looked confused, and then an attractive black women walked forward to the ginger couple, "What's her name? Who is she?"

Clara watched as the Doctor walked forward, "River Song." he answered, the group turned toward him,

"And who are you?" An angry looking blonde stomped toward him, but a tall thin man who Clara suddenly realised was a former face of the Doctor grabbed her arm and held her back, "No, Rose, that is not a good idea..." he pulled her back warily. "Handy! Good to see you!" the Doctor extended a hand out to the thin Doctor, the man took it and shook it warmly. The Doctor walked around the group shaking hands, hugging and saluting members, calling each by name, "He obviously hadn't realised none of them knew who he was." Clara thought. She fought sight of the Doctor who had done an entire round of the crowd then stood up on the pilot chair and cleared his throat. He paused. "I'm the Doctor! Fantastic, allons-y, Geronimo!" the group's eyes widened.

The Doctor just stared at the sight before him, all of them, from his new forms since the war, all of them. From Rose to Clara. "Um well hi everyone!" he continued to speak, remembering faces, regrets, laughter and tears, then swallowed the demons and continued speaking, "I have no idea why the old girl," indicating the TARDIS, "Has brought you all here but I think it has something to do with..." Amy marched forward, " Raggedy man! Where is my..." Rory took Amy's hand "Our." he growled, "Our," Amy continued, "daughter?" the Doctor swallowed hard, like he was trying to swallow a huge stone. "She died Amy, saving me, I didn't know her then, first time, last time problem, meeting in reverse, she was consumed by the data core of the largest library in the universe, just because she knew if I died instead of her, I'd never meet her, I'd never meet you...It hurts me every moment of every day. She knew everything about me, the only one who ever did, all my secrets including the most important one of them all, my real name. The last time she ever really saw me, she saw a man who only looked at her with sorrow and regret, she saw no love in that man's eyes that she knew would know her so well. All she saw were the eyes I give to a person I am sorry for, not the one I love." The group gasped and started to shout at him from all sides but the Doctor turned away, he was silent for a second, he had to say something, something to change the subject. How he felt about his wife, was his business and his alone, but his hearts betrayed him, he's never really been able to grieve over his wife, he just distracted himself by the mystery of the impossible girl, his Clara, he turned back, tears threatening to fall, "All the things we could have done, all the things I wanted to say to her, and I NEVER can. I will never ever forget her, Melody was the best of me." The doctor grabbed both the Ponds into a hug and hung his head. "I'm sorry, so sorry to all three of you." the bereaved parents stood there, silent and still, too shocked to speak, they turned to a corner of the console, clinging to one another and then, Clara swore she heard sobbing. The Doctor stared at them, unmoving, he felt the empty pit of despair he stored his wife's memory in rising and enlarging again, it hurt, he suddenly shouted, "It hurts!" He clutched his head in his hands, the pain was spanning his entire body, it felt like something was being ripped out of him, he glowed all over, massive streams of golden light,

"Doctor what's going on?" the group all panicked, "Are you regenerating? How? Why? You're not dying are you? What's going on?" the questions circled the crowd surrounding him, "This isn't a regeneration, this is, is, no you are not coming out! Go to sleep, you child, I swear to Rassilon! Stay inside my head!" the crowd took steps back, confused and scared. The glow grew brighter and then it stopped, but that wasn't what shocked the group, Clara walked forward, followed by Amy and Rory.

"Howdy!" the man who stood before them wore a long purple coat and old man shoes, but no bow tie. "Why Hello older me! I think you need some help, our wife is missing and she is definitely causing trouble somewhere so let's go, Comon! Comon! Comon! Wait!" the previous Doctor span and felt for his bow tie, his face fell, "Oh where is it?" he said annoyed. A glow shot out from the current Doctor's head again and hit past Doctor, a purple bow tie appeared. "That's better, don't you think silver fox?" the older doctor laughed heartily, "Most definitely raggedy man!"

"How are you here?" Clara asked, "You're dead." The young man turned and smiled, " That's rude and Well physically, yes, but technically I'm alive in his head."

"All my faces, all of them, are right in here." The older Doctor tapped his temple.

Jack walked forward, "Did you say your WIFE was missing?" he cocked his head at the two time lords. The two men turned and smirked awkwardly at one another. The rest of the group, bar a few more knowledgeable individuals just stared, struck dumb by the bombshell of the Doctor's new found domesticity. Donna recovered first. "You're married, just tell us, she isn't some kind of mad-women, is she?" the older Doctor laughed, the younger answered, " She's our amazing bespoke psychopath!" both shared a knowing smile.

"River?" Amy and Rory asked, hesitant to hope that their daughter had escaped her fate.

"Well you know rule 1 don't you?" raggedy chirped. "The Doctor lies!" Amy and Rory said in unison,

"Left me like a book on the shelf," Clara realised, the two men turned to her, both of their eyes darkened. "You," Clara pointed at the younger version, "You said she died, you never went back, for your WIFE!" Both men stared, emotionless, at her, as if not really looking, more at some past memory. "We married twice." raggedy spoke quietly, "I still wear the ring from the second time, the time she truly became our wife." The older man raised his hand and the younger smiled. Reaching into a pocket in his coat, the younger version took out a small black box, and opened it to reveal an exact copy of the older Doctor's ring, he put it on, "Might as well," he admired the ring for a second "I just didn't really want certain people," looking at the older Doctor, who nodded "knowing about her situation. If they knew she was alive, who knows what they would do to her." the two men shared a long serious look.

"Who are they and what would theydo to River?" Clara said concerned.

"Kill her to get to you." Both Doctors froze at that voice. Amy and Rory clung even closer than before, "No, not my baby, not again." Amy buried her head into Rory's shirt. The group turned to the console screen, the horrid twisted face of Madam Kovarian greeted them.

"How did you find her? How did you bring her back? Her body is dead! Only her mind remains. Unless..." the older Doctor nearly fell into the console, he gripped the console, his knuckles white. "Perhaps I should let the saviour of your friend's precious little girl explain? Although, from the look on your face, I'd say you may have an idea." Kovarian stood aside to reveal Tasha Lem standing next to a hooded figure, both Doctors eyes narrowed sharply. The younger strutted forward "Oh, you were brave Tasha, for once in you life you were brave, and now look at you Tasha Lem, using her for your dirty work again. Tell me, was hurting the innocent child enough for you? Do you know Melody had the most beautiful little mind when she was born, it took me years to finally heal the wounds YOU inflicted, now I've got to start all over again!" Tasha looked across at the hooded figure and chuckled. " Ha Doctor! You think I did this! Thank my partner here, without their expertise, Your little wife would still be a data file in a book! Let me be the one to reintroduce you, to an old friend." The Doctor staggered back, "No, how did you escape? You were trapped, you can't be here!" the hooded figure stepped forward, the group in the TARDIS huddled round the console screen, as the hooded figure undid his cloak, it fell to the ground.

"Well, well, well, Doctor, how is my oldest buddy?" The Doctor's grip tightened further into the console. The Master bowed theatrically "How did you escape?" he growled, extending out every word.

"Well, you can thank our people for that, Doctor, they rescued me, trying to make amends for the violence they caused. I found myself in the care of the silence, they brought me back to health, I even have my own army. For a while I was content to work quietly behind the scenes, then, when I heard of all your escapades, I just had to mess with you again. So I asked the silence for their experiences with you, and I came across her..." The Master's grin became angled and horrid, the Doctor shut his eyes briefly. "She really is amazing, Doctor, a female time lord-human hybrid, well at least she was..." The Doctor looked up sharply, "What did you do?!" his anger was slowly seeping through his words,"Just be less emotional, like River told me, less emotion." he thought, his face softened. "What did you do to her?" The Master's face fell, annoyed by his enemies apparent unfazed nature toward his own wife. "I located her in the library, that took a long time, the women is extremely hard to pin down," The Doctor smirked, then mentally berated himself for the memory of River that popped into his head, "Darrilium certainly was a night to remember." he thought. The Master had noticed the wandering of the other time lord's mind and cleared his throat. " I took along these two lovely ladies here and they ransacked the place, much to my annoyance, though I had only one task, to find our fellow time lord. I reached the core and deleted all unnecessary data like those stupid human friends of hers." Donna grabbed the Doctor's arm, "Evangelista! She was barely more than 22. What about the little girl? She was 10!" The Doctor turned to Donna and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He then faced the Master again, his face redisplaying the anger from earlier, " All of them, dead?" his tone was low and dark, the Younger Doctor, who had been listening with his head down, raised his head, and shared a saddened look at Handy and his older counterpart. "All of them!" he smiled maliciously. "I downloaded Melody's mind into the pocket watch I used to store my own to trick you. Then when we were back at base I..." The Doctor butted in.

"You found a way to open a stable time Vortex, download her mind into it, and then hoped the time lords take pity on the part time lord that just appeared in front of them." The Master clapped slowly. "And they did, they did right?" The Doctor didn't know for certain but he was pretty sure.

"Yes they did, but they didn't just bring her back, they improved her." Both Doctors shut their eyes, they suddenly looked much older and weathered,

"Does she has a new name? Do you know it Master?" The Doctor was scared now. "No. She doesn't speak, doesn't even make a sound." the Master answered, "I'm telling the truth, her name is a mystery even I have not solved." The Doctor was about to enquire further when the Ponds walked forward, "Doctor, what has he done to our daughter?" The doctor turned to the group, who had been completely silent apart from the odd gasp or whisper when the Master appeared, they were staring intently at him,and younger him.

"She has been made into a full time lord," he said quietly, "The human part of her is all gone, she kind of isn't even my wife any more, that's why..." The Doctor stopped talking and turned back to the screen, "Show me her." he ordered them.

"Certainly! We've been waiting for you to ask." Kovarian said slyly. The three of them moved to one side to reveal a cell block and a darkened figure was chained by their wrists and ankles, their head hung over forward , limp and seemingly lifeless. "Light her cell up." Tasha Lem ordered to someone off screen. Blinding florescent lights illuminated the cell, the group all stepped back shocked, the younger Doctor whimpered and turned away briefly before walking forward again to join the older version. Both stared at the women who now hung before them, the women who formally had such a love of life now resembled a piece of meat hung up in a butcher's shop. Her wrists were obscured from his view by giant cuffs, squeezing tightly into her skin. Her arms were covered in blood which must have come from the tightness of the cuffs on her tiny wrists. The blood had soaked the top part of her dress. The dress that must have been cream and long originally, now was short and tattered, and dirty brown in colour. River's toes only just touched the floor and she had balanced herself precariously on the ground, water and blood pooled at her feet. Amy pushed past her husband to see their daughter and screamed, "My Baby! Melody! Oh god! No! Melody!" Amy's legs sank beneath her and Rory caught her but he just stared at River, tears running down his face. Rose had hidden her head into John's chest and Donna had looked away in fear. The other members of the group's faces were a mix of horror and terror. The two Doctor's stood in complete silence, the younger's lips quivered slightly, and older felt his eyes watering. Both shared a long look at each other then the elder spoke.

"River? Sweetheart?" He sighed softly. Jack's ears pricked up at River's name, and turned away, fiddling with a small device. River must have heard him as she lifted her head up from staring at the floor and turned her face away from the screen, "River?" The younger Doctor spoke up "Look at me honey." she turned herself slowly, the chain creaking against the rust of the wet environment, until her back now faced him. The two Doctor's both felt a horrid sense of dread.

"River?" The elder spoke again, "Please look at me, Please, I just want to know you to know its me. River? Please, honey, its me, I'm your husband, I'm the Doct..." The Doctor couldn't speak, River faced him, her eyes were dark and large black circles were below them, a large purple bruise had formed below her right eye and a bluish bruise was on her collar bone, the dress had ripped there. "Riv..." The Doctor choked on her name, a mix of anger and sadness filling his throat, "River," he began again "Can you see me?" she nodded, "And me?" The younger asked, River nodded again. Tasha Lem walked forward and the Master and Kovarian moved back, "Now, Doctor, here is the deal, hand yourself over quietly and we return Melody to the safe walls of the TARDIS." Clara stood beside the two Doctors and the Master smiled "And what happens if he doesn't hand himself over, River is a time lord, you wouldn't kill her!" Clara felt smug, but the Doctor's eyes were still uneasy, a look the group were soon learning was much more frequent these days.

"None of us would kill her, but the clock is ticking till she dies." The Master said, his face dead-pan.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor growled.

"You'll find out if you exchange yourself over, and your pretty little woman will be saved." River jerked at his comment, her eyes narrowed sharply. The Doctor's eyes shifted toward his wife then back to the Master, "How long?" he asked.

"One day, that's all, one full day of time travel." the Master answered. Tasha Lem smiled sickly, "Just to persuade you to side with our offer, Pull up the chains!" The group all lunged forward, even Kovarian and the Master seemed concerned, "But mother superious, it could kill her! She would regenerate, the energy would overload her system, she would die." Kovarian pleaded with the superior woman. "She went through worse when we trained her...Every punch and kick she took, made her tough, this will only strengthen her further. Raise the chain!" Lem ordered again, Amy and Rory cried at the two Doctors and the two versions of the time lord both leaped forward, "NO!" they both screamed. The guard raised the chain, River's feet went clean off the ground, her head lurched backward, but she gritted her teeth together and slammed her mouth shut, she didn't scream, her legs kicked wildly, but they were constrained by the ankle restraints. The younger Doctor looked at the elder, the elder spoke, "Stop, please, stop, where's the meeting site, I'll make the exchange, just let her down, take the chains off, please, she isn't part of this, you're only using her, like you always have, please, let her down." Tasha Lem waved her hand and guards let down the chain, River dropped to the floor hard. She didn't move for a second, all held their breath, then slowly she raised her head, and pushed herself, painfully, to her knees, and dragged herself to the cot on the side of the cell. Tasha Lem huffed, "I told you, it would only strengthen her resolve." she said to Kovarian who looked only at River in wonder. River looked at her arms and legs, sank slightly into the bed, and squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly a golden light shot out all around her, it dispersed and River was fine, she was healed completely. The three captors looked annoyed, River looked up at them, folded her arms and smiled smugly. The Doctors looked only at their wife.

"Let us talk to her." the younger said.

"Alone." the elder added.

Tasha Lem looked unsure but nodded, "You have one minute." she ushered the others out of the room, the door shut and the Doctors both walked forward,

"Hello Honey!" The younger chirped, though the concern he truly felt filtered through.

River reached for some paper on a desk near her and wrote in a pen from the nearby drawer. They waited for a second and then River held up the sign, The Doctors and the Ponds laughed despite the situation, "Hello Sweetie! Xx" the paper read. The group had so many questions but thought it best to let the two doctors and River's parents have some time with her. "How long have you been there?" Rory asked, River wrote again, on the back of the paper this time, "6 hours and I've only escaped once Dad... Gotta fix that... How is everyone then?"

The group were struck dumb by how cheery Melody seemed, considering what she'd just been through. Clara was the one who voiced this, River looked at Clara for a second before writing a response. "I've been through worse, trust me when I say I really have...Remember Alpha nine Sweetie?" The two time lords shuddered, "Vividly dear, I try not to think about those worms..." the elder squeezed him face up.

Rose asked the obvious question, "Where exactly are you?" River looked sideways and shook her head, "Can't say, you really think they left me alone..." she wrote back. The younger Doctor was quiet, unlike him, he spoke up suddenly, "I miss you!" He placed his hand on the screen, and she smiled sadly at him, the elder turned away and took the diary out of his pocket and turned it in his hand. Tucking back the book in the safety of his jacket he joined the younger him at the screen and placed his hand next to his predecessor. "I still think about you, every day." River turned her face away again, and slumped against the cell bars. The elder had a thought, he changed hands to his left, the younger smiled. "River, look at the screen honey." The younger asked her gently. She turned slowly, her eyes red and puffy, she was crying, but she stopped when she saw the elder's hand, "Is that the ring I gave you?" She wrote, The Doctor nodded enthusiastically, "It was the only way of me keeping some contact with you, that and the diary. I just couldn't think about not hearing your voice again, speaking of which, why can't you speak to anyone?" River smirked and wrote in Big letters, the Doctor knew what was coming but waited for the answer anyway. "SPOILERS ;) Don't worry about me dear, I always have a plan."

The Doctors both realised, their time was nearly up, "River, please listen, don't be worried, I'll find a way to save you, I promise, we," the younger points to the elder, "We promise!" the elder was about to speak, "River, I have to tell you, River Song, I..." Tasha Lem and the others reappeared, River's cell was locked from view and both Doctors replaced their happy face for one of anger and steely determination. "One day of time travel Doctor, and counting." Tasha Lem said.

The Master laughed, "Shame she has to die Doctor, she's very pretty."

Kovarian was last, as the screen crackled and died, "Tick Tock goes the clock, and all the time you fly, Tick Tock goes the clock, your love will surely die..."

The connection died,leaving only a clock, counting down, the younger Doctor immediately spun into action, pushing buttons and spinning levers, typing numbers and pulling cords, but the elder stood still. When the younger hit his hand on the console hard, the elder snapped back into reality and pulled the younger to face him, "Raggedy, we can't find her, the TARDIS couldn't track her." the younger slumped into the pilot's chair and his fringe covered the young man's face, his shoulders shook slightly. The current Doctor sat next to him, he looked hopeless. Clara walked over to the two men who recoiled at her approach, "We have to think!" the younger turned to the elder, "About what? Where could she be? What idea have we got? Nothing! They would have killed her if she tried to tell us, all of the friends who were with her are dead, she is completely and utterly alone in there. Tell me bow tie, because I have NOTHING, just what plan could we possibly use to help River escape when we don't even know where she is?!" The elder fell back into the seat and put his head into his hands.

Suddenly a massive lightning flash filled the room and thunder clapped, the group rushed backwards but the Doctors both leaped forward, "River?!" they both shouted, but the person in front of them wasn't River, Clara walked toward them, "Doctor, it's a little girl, how did a little girl appear in the TARDIS?" The small girl looked around, tears streaming down her face, "Mummy? Mummy, where are you?" she went back to her search. The Doctors both stood in silence and in unison Donna and John both said "Charlotte?" questioningly. The small girl looked up from her search in response to the name and ran to the skinny man she recognised and the older ginger woman she had saved, "Doctor? Donna?" the girl, Charlotte, was terrified. John smiled sadly, "I'm sorry Charlotte Abigail Lux, I'm not the Doctor, just a copy, however those two fine men can help you." Charlotte turned in the direction that the copy Doctor pointed, one of the men, was young, but looked old, the other was older, but looked younger. They both stood staring at her, they then both ran to her and slid to their knees, Charlotte stumbled back at their erratic behaviour. "How did you survive?" The younger man said, "Where did you come from?" the elder added. Charlotte looked from one man to the other, "Doctor?" she said to both, the men both nodded, "Mummy sent me, she pointed a glowing stick at this arm band," she showed the two Doctors the strange wrist device that brought her here. "Then I was here, in a flash of light." The two Doctors looked at each other, then back at her, "Tell us what happened to you Charlotte, from the Library, to right now, everything!"

Charlotte was about to tell the events of the past through hours when Donna stepped forward, "You were in that library for years, your mother wasn't there, who is she?" The Doctors both smiled, "Oh, Donna Noble," the younger stood up as the elder picked up Charlotte, "What did my wife say?" Jack cocked his head, "Is that my vortex manipulator?" The Doctors chuckled, "Spoilers Jack, if I told you that, there wouldn't be any fun in finding out, would there? And no, she didn't say that..." It was Vastra who answered "I always have a plan, River, she's your mother! BUT DOESN'T THAT MEAN..." the Doctors laughed, "Oh shut up Vastra, Charlotte's my adopted daughter, If River and I had children, you'd know it, trust me on that. A time lord pregnancy is certainly not easy..." Rose put a hand on each Doctor's arm, "And you would know, hey, you said you were a dad once..." The Doctors both smiled sadly then sat Charlotte on the pilot's seat and knelt before her, "Tell us everything, sweetheart. I promise we will find Mummy, she means a lot to us." The younger said softly. Charlotte put her tiny hands on the elder and younger faces, "Are you both my Daddy then?" They both nodded, "Mummy said you were always confusing." The Doctors both chuckled, "Well she was right about that. Tell you what, tell us what happened and I'll give you one of the prize biscuits from our biscuit tub, the only other person was ever allowed in there was Mummy, and she used to hide a stash from me!" Charlotte giggled, the two Doctors sat, one on each side of Charlotte, and she explained what happened. When she got to the part when she became human again the elder Doctor turned her head to him and checked she was healthy, just as her mum had done. When he was satisfied she was completely fine, he nodded and she continued, how she was dragged to a cell and when her mother arrived, that she no longer spoke, but did acknowledge her so she must have been fairly alright.

The group listened transfixed by the girl's remarkable escape, and all were silent when she finished. The Doctors both leaped to their feet, and the younger rubbed his hands, "Now let me get that manipulator off you Charlotte." he did just that and placed it delicately on the console. The elder used his sonic and scanned the device, he smiled and showed his younger self, "Ha ha! That's my girl!" the younger Doctor jumped nearly a foot, spinning and punching the air. The elder laughed heartily. Amy and Rory walked forward hesitantly, "What have you found Doctor?" Rory said, "Have you found our daughter?" Amy said through small sniffles. The two men turned to the group from a hushed discussion they were having. "We know why the TARDIS brought you here." the younger spoke confidently, the elder put a hand on the excited child-like predecessor next to him "She was recruiting an army, my army. We're going to storm Storm cage." Jack spoke up, "But that place is impregnable, it was built to house the most terrible criminals of all history. There was only one who ever escaped and they kept coming back, like they found it a challenge. Doctor, you can't go there, she is the woman who kills you... Professor River Song."

Four of the group burst out laughing, the others turned, confused "I don't see what's funny?" Jack said, the Doctors both tried to stop laughing but instead seemed to find what Jack said so hilarious, the younger fell on the floor clutching his stomach in stomach ripping laughter and the elder hit his hand repeatedly on the console. "Doctor, she could kill you!" Rose said and ran to the men but they immediately turned serious, "That was my past, her past, we...oh my god! We're linear! Completely normal time travel in the same direction!" the two men high fived and started to fly the TARDIS. "We'll tell you about it but first we need a plan." the elder said, "Oi, old man," the younger stopped dancing round the console and smugly lent on a lever, then the level dropped beneath his weight, making the TARDIS whine angrily. "Let's just break her out like we always do, she'd like that!" the older man nodded and they continued their merry dance. Clara walked over, "Doctor, have you found her?" the younger answered, "Yes Oswald, River fed back the coordinates where Charlotte was transported from in the manipulator, clever, my wife, very, very clever. I loved braking her out just for the conversation with ab equal mind!" Jack pulled the younger to face him, the Doctor squirmed in his coat at the intimidating stare he got, "You broke Song out!" The Doctor removed Jack's hand with a light wave of his own, and straightened his bow tie. "River is good, better than most of you, whatever you think, whatever she says about herself, or what others say about her, River is good, she is the best woman we know." the younger Doctor opened a compartment under the console and picked up a spare sonic, that looked like his own, before the new Doctor changed it. The group now turned to the elder, "Time to spring out our wife..." he said slyly.


	9. Chapter 9

Tasha was happy. One, because she'd finally caught the Doctor, and two, she had finally dealt with River Song once and for all. That wretch of a person had been standing in her way of the Doctor for many years. "What did that human reject have that I don't?" Lem grumbled to herself, "The only thing that made her even remotely special was the time lord DNA in her genome, and that did her a fat lot of use when she gave him her regenerations. A waste of a vital ability, I would never give up anything for that man...But he'll give up everything for me, when I get my hands on him." Tasha decided that she would go and taunt Melody, she headed toward her cell. The lights flickered slightly, "Stupid place...no wonder Melody got out so much, the place is like a graveyard!" Tasha thought.

"Hold it right there Professor Song!" a guard shouted from the distance. Tasha broke into a run, "But how could she..." Madam Kovarian and the Master met her from an adjoining corridor. All three ran but stopped dead at the sight in front of them.

"Now back in your cell! It's all fine mother superious, the prisoner is secure..." the guard fell to the ground, unconscious, and River was nowhere to be seen. Kovarian hit the panic button, and the trio awaited guards to appear, but after a couple of minutes, none arrived. "Where are they?!" Kovarian shouted, the Master straightened his shirt collar and motioned the two women to follow. They walked in silence, occasionally coming across a guard who was similarly unconscious like the first, except River must have just knocked them out. Tasha spied a screen, it flickered then the countdown clock suddenly vanished and was replaced with a message. Tasha growled and pushed the others on, every screen turned to the same message. The Master suddenly halted them and pointed to a group of unconscious smoking guards, "She's armed now, and must have found her belongings. Come on, I have a better way to find her." The three stood closer, then Tasha used her beacon and all three beamed up onto the Silence's control ship.

"On the count of three, one, two, three!" the Doctor shouted, waving each person out the door. Clara had picked up Charlotte and the Doctor's younger self commented "Hey, you look like sisters", to which Clara hit him and Charlotte giggled. The elder ran out the doors last, and surveyed the scene. Around the group were about 50 or so men and a few women, all unconscious, completely flat out on the floor of Storm cage. The group were in disbelief, "Did Daleks find her?" Rose asked, looking round quickly, "No, the guards are alive." The Doctor answered. "Cybermen?" Martha questioned. "Nope, they're not assimilated." Raggedy man replied. Amy suddenly laughed, the group turned to her, "Doctor I think I know..." the two men followed Amy's gaze and both smiled. Clara held Charlotte close, "Doctor, what could have possibly done all this, knocked out so many trained soldiers?" Clara noticed both Doctors twisting their wedding ring. "Good shooter, whoever they were, precise and efficient..." Jack said, Mickey and Martha hummed in agreement. The two Doctors coughed and the group turned to them. Younger Doctor thumbed at the massive screen behind him.

"NICE TRY! Xx" It read, in big white letters.

"I don't understand, what villain would write kisses on a message?" Clara looked back questioningly at the Doctor. "Oh Oswald," raggedy man sighed, "No villain did this! This was the work of someone much more powerful..."

"Who Doctor?!" Clara shouted, angry at the apparent fun he was having toying with her.

"My wife..." The silver haired Doctor answered smugly. Jack marched up to the two Doctors,

"You can't be serious, she couldn't do all this!"

The Younger Doctor poked him backward, "You said yourself, she was the only prisoner to ever break out of Storm cage." Jack brushed off the Doctor's hand, "She only broke out with your help!" The young man shook his head, "Only some times, most of her escapes were prompted because she needed to find me, not because she needed me, but because I needed her." Jack pouted then replied, "Why did you break her out anyway?" the Doctor straightened his bow tie, puffed out his chest and turned to his older counterpart, who hooked his fingers under his lapels. The older man answered, "To take her on dates of course!" Jack's jaw fell open, and the younger Doctor pushed his mouth shut, "Or to have adventures." he added cheerfully. The elder patted his younger self, "Or both." he added.

The group decided it would be easier to find where River had gone if they split up. The groups agreed to meet back in 20 minutes, the Doctors both looked at each warily, and hung back in quiet conversation, "Someone's watching us." the younger nodded in agreement, "Let's not startle them, if they want to attack us, they would wait till we're separated..." he replied. He then skipped off, organising the group into teams. The Doctor took hold of Clara's arm and took Charlotte off his current companion. "Me, myself," he pointed at his predecessor who was busy splitting people up and hushing their complaints at not being able to choose. "And my new daughter are sticking together, Clara you're with us too." Clara nodded. The younger Doctor was about to split up Amy and Rory when he was punched squarely on the jaw by the last centurion and fell flat on his back. The group looked accusingly at Rory, but the younger Doctor stood up and placed himself in between the group and his attacker, "It's alright guys, I was in the wrong. Never, ever try to split these two up. They're like homing pigeons, set them apart and they always find each other...You two can come with us," he waved to the older Doctor, "You are family after all!" Amy slapped her husband's arm and pinched the young Doctors chin, "Are you o.k. Raggedy man? You seem sad..." the young Doctor span out of Amy's touch and leaped back over to his older self. I'm fine Amelia Pond, Don't worry yourself, I'm always fine!"

.He waited till the group disbanded in their respective directions, then turned to his older self, "I'm worried about her." The Doctor had let Charlotte and Clara join Amy and Rory ahead of them and answered his younger self without turning, "Me two...There's no clue to where she's gone, that's not like River at all." The Doctors both let Amy and Rory lead their group into the entrance to Storm cage. Turning into a dark alley, they walked up a winding flight of stairs. The Doctor picked up his daughter and tucked her head into his neck, she was tired after the terrifying events she'd witnessed. He Doctor stroked her hair and already felt the bond between the child and himself, she was easily as brave as himself, maybe braver than River. The group rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and looked out onto the full grounds of Storm cage from a balcony. Rain battered the buildings, and search lights swung in the wind, unmanned due to the men being called to fight River. "A whole prison, just for one person..." Clara said in amazement, Amy turned to Clara, she was huddled against Rory's side. "River isn't just a person, she's our daughter, and she was trained as a child by the very people who detained her here. Trained to kill the greatest and most powerful man in the universe..." Clara turned to the Doctors, the elder shrugged at her confused expression, "Do you really think any old cell in any normal prison could hold her?" he answered. Clara shook her head. Rory spoke next, his tone flat and low, "Where is she Doctor?" The Doctors joined the rest of the group at the railing. "We don't know." the younger Doctor said, holding Amy's hand. "But we will find her." The elder put his hand on Rory's shoulder. Lightning struck, sending shivers down the group's backs.

"How did River cope here?" Clara asked, baffled.

"She had us." the Doctors answered in reply.

Jack had lead his team off in the direction of the offices in Storm cage, Martha was checking unconscious soldiers and Mickey pulling her on, muttering about how they weren't on their side.

Jack held up his hand and the squabbling couple were silenced, the sign on the door in front of them was like cold wind cutting through them.

"Mr Saxon" the harsh, black writing read.

The trio all took their guns out of their holsters and Jack pushed the door open slowly. Inside they found a desk and a control panel attached to the grey, wet walls. "Anything?" Jack said, while he searched the room for any signs of the infamous time lord. "Any files or objects belonging to the Master or the Silence have been removed." Mickey replied. Martha was about to touch the control panel when Jack grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her away. "Where would you put a time Vortex if you were a mad, psychotic time lord?" he snapped. Martha looked back at the panel and nodded, backing away as she did so. The group continued to look but found nothing. "The Master must have taken it all." Mickey deduced from the organised stripping of the room. "Someone ensured, everything was taken away carefully. There's no ripped papers, no overturned furniture, no mess. This was cleaned out meticulously." he explained. Jack agreed but was worried, "What's his plan?" he thought.

Vastra thought it best to explore the surrounding grounds of the containment facility, Strax marched on ahead, babbling about the terrible defences the prison had. Jenny hung close to Vastra's side, her sword's hilt firmly held in her hand. The group rounded the next turret and noticed a moving figure in the distance, they were crawling, slug like, on the floor. Vastra ran forward and pinned her sword into the back of the man's neck. "It's one of the guards ma'am," Jenny said, "He's conscious!" The guard lifted his head straight into the eyes of a stern looking Strax. "State your position girl, if you wish to survive!" the guard quivered at Strax's tone and turned to face Vastra.

"Sergeant Stanton, trainee lookout..." The guard said shivering.

"What happened here?" Vastra hissed, she pointed her sword into Stanton's neck. Stanton coughed and sat up, but froze when Jenny poked her sword into his back.

"An alarm was raised to tell us Professor Song escaped, so we all went on high alert. Song was the highest ranked war criminal in history, she used to have a section of Storm cage, just to house her, and that still wasn't enough. The entire facility was altered to contain her when the silence took it over." Vastra and Jenny shared a nervous look. "The women was an engineered weapon ma'am, she was engineered to kill 'im." Jenny said what Vastra was thinking. "If no trap could hold that time lord, then no trap would hold his psychopath." Vastra added. The guard nodded and continued his story. "We were all prepared for her to take out at least a few of us but the entire base..." Strax was about to shout at the guard again but Vastra took an icy approach "What did she do?" she asked coldly. The guard shuddered and looked up at the trio above him. "She ran into the centre of the courtyard and we were told to fire at her. I was scared so I hid behind the wall and looked out through the peep hole, here see." He indicated to a small rectangular hole in the concrete wall. "The bullets had hit her and she hunched over in pain. Guards ran over but that's when she...she..." the guard shook his head in disbelief, "A light! It burst out from her, like branches of a tree, it hit all the guards coming toward her and kept going. It struck all the guards who shot at her and then it came toward me. The light touched my chest, it made me feel sleepy but then it pulled back, like it sensed I hadn't hurt Professor Song. The light died down and I fell unconscious for about," he looked at his watch, "Ten minutes. I woke to find you running at me. I didn't want to hurt Song, she seemed like a good person, she just wanted to take care of her daughter, but she went missing... I hope Song is alright, she knew I came here to find him, the Doctor. There are quite a few clerics who want to help the Doctor, or just meet him, the mighty warrior!" The trio lowered their weapons, Jenny helped Stanton to his feet, "Get on your way Stanton!" Vastra ordered, "Quickly, you need to keep up appearances with the order, they'll get suspicious if you don't return." Jenny added gently. Stanton nodded quickly and ran away shouting his thanks to the group. Vastra looked on then turned to face the other two, "Song is still around, she must be using her excess regeneration energy, that makes a timelord extremely dangerous, but also weak, she must still be on the base. We must be wary, she would take us out two if she thinks we pose her a threat." the other agreed and all continued walking, weapons slightly drawn.

John had decided that he, Donna and Rose should look around River's cell to find any clues for where she could have gone to. When they reached it, they found it completely bare bar the cot and an empty set of desk drawers. "She must have collected everything when she left..." Rose touched the cot slightly then sat down, "Everything's changed, especially the Doctor, I don't really recognise him any more." she sighed. Donna joined Rose on the bed, "I know what you mean, he seems so much older, and he seems even more lonely than when I first met him." John looked at himself in the mirror, trying to picture first the younger, bow-tie wearing self, then the elder, sharp-suited man, who was the current incarnation, shaking the thought of his own vanity he turned and looked out onto the corridor that River must have looked upon for her entire stint at the containment facility. "It's so horrid here, no wonder the Doctor helped her escape, she must have felt trapped." John sighed, "I hate being trapped." Donna suddenly stood up and ran out of the cell, and over to a large computer console, "Look, that must a life sign detector, John, Rose, look..." the couple joined Donna and gasped, "A single life sign is running into the TARDIS. We have to warn the others!" Rose screeched at her husband. John noticed a speaker system and quickly found an intercom port. "Someone has got into the TARDIS! We have to get back there now!" He said over the speakers. John's voice echoed over the base intercom as the groups all reassembled.

The Doctor walked up his ship gingerly and tapped the door, which swung open. "Well it wasn't forced, the old girl let the intruder in." his younger self joined him "Our little spy from before..." he posed to the Doctor. The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Let's see what they want..." he replied. Both men opened the doors fully and walked boldly up to the console. The group followed cautiously behind. "Ha ha, I knew it!" the younger Doctor clapped his hands together and spun in a circle nearly knocking Clara off her feet. "No you didn't, I was the one who thought it first!" the Doctor berated his younger self, who pouted and jumped up onto the seat, "Well I said they wouldn't contact us here. It's far too risky." the Doctor chuckled, "Well I have to agree with you there." he smiled. Amy and Rory, who were currently holding Charlotte's hands ran up to the Doctors and he held up what appeared to be a biscuit tin. " How does that explain anything?!" Amy accused the two men. Charlotte let go of her adopted grandparent's hands and ran to her new fathers. "Mummy was here!" The younger picked her up and the elder bopped her on her nose, "Yes, now you see, that is clever, this girl is smarter than the rest of you."

The group looked confused, then Jenny piped up, "You said River was the only other person to know where the biscuit tin was hidden, she sent you a message!" the Doctor nodded, "Clever, my wife, isn't she!" the group looked around, "Where is she?" Rose asked the Doctors, the men turned to each other, "We don't know, but she took her Vortex manipulator." Jack scowled, "Well actually it's my vortex manipulator." The younger Doctor laughed heartily "Trust me Jack, it's hers now, you really don't want to try taking things from her, she'd as possessive as me." Jack huffed, and kicked the floor lightly. The Doctor smiled and continued, "She'll send us a message when she needs us." The Doctor smiled and flipped the controls. "We always go to her when she calls." the younger beamed. Amy slunk passed the men who were both dancing their merry jig around the console. "Heel boy!" she said, both Doctors gulped, the younger reset his bow-tie and the elder brushed his lapels. The group all laughed at the Doctors both looking extremely flustered. "We need to know what the silence know about her." The Doctor said clearing his throat and silencing the last few giggles with an icy glare. The younger nodded "They might know where she is." he replied.

And with that the doors closed and the TARDIS dissolved away. She crept out from the darkness of the concrete pillars in Stormcage and strapped the manipulator to her wrist, wiping jammy dodger crumbs from her mouth. "O.k. Sweetie, this is where it gets interesting!" she thought. Thunder and lightning clapped, but not from the raging weather, as River left Storm cage for the last time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you to everyone following** **reviewing! I feel really flattered...(I'm blushing as I'm writing this!)...**

**Any way...GERONIMO!**

"We're not going on the ship, are we?" Martha asked, giving away the entire groups worry.

"Of course we are, they just won't know we're there!" Raggedy said. The group decided to call him that as it was getting confusing, and none of the group dared give the current Doctor a nickname, he had a glare that just kind of destroyed any sort of resolve they had.

"We're putting the TARDIS into invisible mode, that way no one will know we're even there." The Doctor explained. Raggedy threw a switch illuminating the TARDIS interior in a bright strobe light, near blinding the passengers. The Doctor pressed a button, which returned the interior to it's usual purple tint. "Thank god for River showing us that!" he said throwing an exasperated look at his younger self who rolled his eyes, "You're just as much a spoil sport as our wife, taking the brakes off when I drove her, putting them on when I landed her, plotting the RIGHT coordinates for our destination..." Clara poked him, "Are you telling me that you didn't really know how to fly this ship?!" the group all gave glares to the timelords whose eyes shifted nervously at each other, "It's a constant learning process!" Raggedy said defending himself. The Doctor patted him on the shoulder and put on the landing brakes. "But I've learnt most of how she works, right old girl?" The TARDIS lurched at his comment, the group all picked each other up as the ship settled to a quiet hum. "Alright, maybe not all of you." The Doctor apologised. "But I certainly know you the best!" Raggedy puffed out his chest proudly to which the TARDIS groaned at him, and both Doctor's faces fell, "What do you mean River knows you better, just because you two have some weird psychic connection, does not mean you know each other better than I know you...I don't care whether you like her more than me, look I know how you feel but we have to patient..." Raggedy turned to his older self. "You deal with her!" he pouted like a grumpy toddler. The Doctor touched the console softly, "I know you miss her girl, I miss her as well...we just need to be sure the Silence don't have anything on her, just listen in for me, for Riv...please?" the TARDIS seemed to respond to this and displayed the Master, Madame Kovarian and Tasha Lem on the console screen. They were in what looked to be a control room of a large space transport ship. The TARDIS was watching from behind, not that anyone knew. The group crowded round to see though they didn't need to as the conversation was enough.

"Where is she?!" the Master screamed at the computer he was typing into.

"I put a tracking device into her bag, just in case you idiots let her escape! She must found out from one of the guards and disabled it!" he said, kicking the computer violently, metallic ringing echoing throughout the TARDIS speakers. The TARDIS seemed to hum pleasantly like she was laughing, the Doctors both chuckled as well.

"But...But you can still find her, can't you?" Tasha Lem spluttered through terrified breaths.

"No," the Master growled "There is no way to track her, none. Our deal is off, there is no way tobeat the Doctor anymore while I'm working with you, it's better if I work alone." he pressed his beacon and was teleported off the screen.

"High Pontiff," one of the clerics on the screen said, turning from their control centre "The Master's ship is leaving Ma'am. What should we do?" Tasha Lem sighed and slumped into her throne, "Nothing...we must regroup and make a new plan, the Doctor will not let the timelords through, he must remain silent..." the Doctor turned off the screen and then both timelords flew the TARDIS away into the vortex. They took their hands off the console and Raggedy then addressed the passengers while the Doctor sat on the pilot's chair, "We've put her in the vortex, she's just hanging around till we decide what to do next." The group turned away and mingled around the outer edges of the ship, they were all talking to one another but Charlotte wasn't interested so she ran up to her fathers who noticed her and the Doctor sat her on his lap, Raggedy bopped her nose and then took both her little hands in his own.

"Where is mummy?" Charlotte asked quietly, she sniffed sadly. The two men shared a concerned look then flashed a smile at her. The Doctor spoke first, "She'll contact us when she needs us." he answered comfortingly.

"She isn't easy to contact by phone, always leaves some calling card though, just for us!" Raggedy bopped Charlotte's nose again.

The phone rang. The group, startled by the fake phone box actually having a working phone turned to the Doctors who shrugged and hopped off the seat. "Hello. Who is this?" the Doctor asked. The group held their breath. After a second the Doctor put down the phone again and looked at his counterpart. "No answer." he said softly, Raggedy's former smile had evaporated, but it returned when he looked up at the console, "Silver fox? Look behind you!" the Doctor turned and smiled at the screen, the group pushed and shoved to get a view of what made the two Doctors smile so widely. It was Amy and Rory who smiled next.

"Come find me Sweetie Xx" it read, time and space coordinates written below. The Doctors immediately began driving the TARDIS.

"River! She contacted you! She's fine! Oh Rory our daughter's fine!" Amy cried to her husband.

"She's not fine, Amelia Pond! Our wife is amazing!" Raggedy chirped.

"Don't wait up for me honey..." The Doctor smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

**So where has River taken them all this time?**

"And gently down!" the Doctor said confidently. The TARDIS landed with an uncomfortable thud.

"Where are we now?" Clara prodded the Doctor who was twirling his screwdriver lazily.

"The planet Telminous, edge of the human frontier, beyond here, It's Dalek space." the Doctor said giving Raggedy a serious look, he returned it and then clapped his hands. "Right come along Ponds, and er, everyone else..." he span and waited for his mature counterpart to join him. Like a child waiting to go in a sweet shop, Raggedy tapped his foot.

The group stepped out of the TARDIS into a square, people dressed in soldier's gear stood all around. Men, women, and children all looking at the strange blue box that appeared in front of them.

"Hello soldier people!" Raggedy extended a hand to the nearest person, a young woman, who looked at the hand with great suspicion, before taking it gently and shaking it, "You're dead..." Raggedy rolled his eyes "And it's nice to meet you two." he replied.

"Christmas? You died. I was one of the villagers, I'm ..."

"Katherine!" both Doctors cheered. The Doctor joined his younger self and shook her hand.

"You were nine!" the Doctor smiled.

"You regenerated!" Katherine beamed.

"Where are we Katherine, where on Telminous?" the Doctor turned serious all of a sudden.

"The frontier village of Kiale. We are the last survivors of the battle squadron against the Dalek attack fleet, it's so good you came!" The Doctor shared a sad look with his younger self, "Did you send the message?" he asked Katherine.

"What message? We didn't send any message, we just saw you arrive and..." A scream erupted from one of the children, and their mother quickly turned to comfort him, but she staggered backward. "Daleks! Quick we must hide!" she screeched at the army. The group were pulled and pushed along, the TARDIS dissolved out of sight, her invisibility cloak now in working order.

The group found themselves in an old converted church, windows boarded up with thick metal plates. The children were all hidden in a secret compartment. The Doctor hid Charlotte there as well, and gave her a kiss on her forehead for her comfort and his own.

"Doctor what do we do?" Clara asked, worry in the back of her voice.

The torchwood team and Vastra, Jenny and Strax all pulled out weapons, "We fight!" Jack growled toward the Doctor, his eyes pointed toward the doors.

A banging at the doors made the group quiver. The metal doors gave way revealing two Daleks, their casing glistening eerily.

"DOCTOR SPOTTED! EXTERMINATE!EXTERMINATE!"

The Daleks were about to fire when explosions erupted from their head plates, running down their bodies. The villagers screamed and hid behind the church seats, but the group just stood and stared at the deceased Daleks, wonder on their faces.

The Daleks fizzled and died. The villagers who were huddled together looked around,confused by who could have destroyed the attackers. "We didn't have time to get the good weapons," Katherine breathed, "And besides, most of our weapons only slow down the Daleks, not destroy them."

The two Doctors walked forward as a figure that wore a black cloak pushed the Dalek shells over as she passed through the middle of them. The cloak hugged her waist and she hid her two guns in holsters at her hips.

"Hello honey!" Raggedy chirped.

"What sort of time do you call this?" the Doctor smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**...Well that was close!**

Clara looked at the figure, up and down, the figure was staring at both the Doctors, then she sprang into action, taking a device out of her bag and fiddling with it.

The Doctors looked puzzled, "Honey?" Raggedy asked despairingly. "I know it's you!" the Doctor said accusingly, "Sweetheart?" the Doctor added, worry edged in his voice. "It is you, isn't it?" Raggedy tried to put a hand on the hooded figure's shoulder but she twisted from his approach and moved the device to another part of the building. The Doctor tried to succeed where his younger self failed, "River? Please answer me. I don't like it when you get upset, I get upset two!" he walked over but again the figure moved away, focused only on the device she was trying to activate.

The Doctors both slumped next to each other on the steps at the top of the aisle, hands between their knees. Clara looked at the two men, they looked completely defeated. She walked over. "Doctor," she began, both men looked up, sadness etched into their suddenly old features. "It might not be her. We just have to keep looking." she said trying to comfort them. Both men sighed and looked down again. Clara gave up and sat next to the rest of the group who were staring at the hooded figure.

Amy still tried to convince the Doctors to give up their despair, "Please Doctor, on demon's run, you gave up and then our daughter found us, please don't give up on her." The men both hummed but turned their faces from the group's view.

The group's attention turned back to the hooded figure. She seemed to be assembling some form of transmitter. Clara thought it resembled one of those bubble guns you get at fairgrounds, but it was vertical not horizontal. The figure took out a small computer device and plugged it in to the bubble gun transmitter. She then pressed a few buttons and the bubble gun glowed a blue colour from its original silver. The comparison with the fairground prize grew so even more, when a bubble appeared at the top of the transmitter, but it looked more like an electric field. "Doctor, what is that?" Rose whispered. Neither Doctor answered, they just stayed sat, motionless on the steps. Jack answered Rose "51st century invention, basically it disrupts Dalek communication with their armour. The Dalek essentially becomes trapped within their own body, the transmitter only works for a short time though, then they have to recharge." Rose turned to the group. "Did anyone see the date? Are we in the 51st century?" Jack answered again, "No, she must have brought it here. The battle of Telminous happened in the 49th century, the dalek fleet was destroyed." Donna turned to Jack, "How would you know that?" Jack brushed his coat proudly. "Time agent training school, history of the Dalek race, I got the second highest mark. I was beaten by some smart ginger girl, she was pretty, really polite, and not there very long, but everyone fancied her..." Martha laughed, "Aww, Jack's first crush!" Jack scowled. "I was ten, she was barely more than seven!" he held out his hands defensively. Martha bit back a laugh but Rose wasn't nearly so diplomatic, "Seven! God Jack, you started young!" Jack turned back to the figure, attempting to change the subject, he asked rhetorically, "I wonder if she went to the training academy two? She certainly knew how to take out a Dalek with no problem. If she wasn't so silent and bland as a character, I might ask her out for a drink..." The figure must have heard his comment, as she huffed and held her chin up high, as if his offer of a drink made her feel disdain against him. She then went back to work on the machine, but not before looking across at the Doctors and sighing softly.

Suddenly a blue hum erupted from the machine and the figure stepped back. She, now satisfied the machine was working, put her computer device away in her bag and threw the satchel on the floor with a thud. This brought both Doctors out of their dark place and back into reality, they looked up at her sadly. The woman walked over, and swayed slightly. The Doctors both sprang to their feet, each holding one of her arms to steady her. The woman stepped back a bit, releasing her arms from the men's grip. The group stood also, an eerie silence filled the room, Clara felt really tense. The Doctors both stared at the figure intensely. She undid the tie of her cloak slowly, and the thick fabric moved from her front revealing a storm cage uniform, tattered and muddy. The woman then brought her hands slowly to her hood, and lifted it. The cloak fell to the floor, the group stepped back in shock.

"Hello Sweetie." River said softly, she stared straight at the two Doctors, her eyes shifted between them, taking in the utter relief on their face.

"What the hell were you doing honey? You scared us silly. We thought we'd never find you!" Raggedy said. "Never, ever, put me through that again!" The Doctor berated her, but his voice had only concern in it, River smiled.

Clara looked at River, the time she'd met her, River was a ghost, nothing more than a computer file, but now she stood in the flesh, Clara could see the true person. River looked tired, resilient, but tired. The Doctors both walked briskly up to River, presumably attempting to hug her. However just as they reached their wife, River's eyes rolled backward into her head, and her eyes shut. She fell gracefully toward the ground. The Doctors both reacted quickly, Raggedy catching her body, and the Doctor, her head and neck. Both, with a look of pure terror on their faces, lowered her to the floor. The Doctor had placed River's head on his knee and was scanning her with his sonic. River's mass of curls obscuring his trousers completely from view. Raggedy was holding River's left hand, stroking it, putting it on his cheek, kissing it, all the while, talking to River as if she could hear him. "Comon, Riv, wake up! This isn't funny, the Master said you could die, this is no time to play coy with us. Just because there are two men doting on you, does not mean you can be all girly and flirtatious, not that I don't like that of course, I find you incredibly attractive, you're hell in high heels!" Rory and Martha had ran to River's side as well, Amy was behind her husband.

"Doctor, I am a trained physician!" Martha cried at him. The Doctor shook his head and continued scanning River.

"Doctor, I'm a nurse," Rory pleaded with the older Doctor, as he seemed the less crazy of the two versions, Raggedy was still shouting at his unconscious wife. "And she's my daughter! I am not letting her die!" The Doctor's head turned sharply toward his father-in-law "You think I want her to die! After all we've been through! Rory, she's my family as well! She is not going to die because I will not allow it. River you are not allowed to die!" he spoke the last sentence in a whisper to his wife, her head lulled to one side. Raggedy caught her head before it slipped and placed it gently back on his descendant's knee, kissing her forehead after he did so, and then moved back onto his knees, looking at the elder man desperately. The Doctor stopped scanning River, his face was grave. He showed Raggedy the sonic, Raggedy 's eyes darkened and griped River's hand tighter. The Doctor moved River's head to the floor, Amy put her jacket under her daughter's head. She kissed River's forehead, and stroked her hair lovingly, removing stray curls from River's face "Doctor, she's burning up..." she cried softly, Rory kissed his daughter's forehead as well and then moved Amy away. The Doctor took hold of River's free right hand, and then looked across to Raggedy. "Doctor, what's happened to her?" Clara stepped toward the two Doctors but was held back by John firmly, a grim look on his face.

Golden sparks started to flow from River's hands and the Doctors both shut their eyes, griping her hands tightly "Stay back!" John shouted to the curious onlookers. The familiar sound of regeneration filled the ears of those who had been unfortunate enough to witness it. Amy and Rory started to cry. Seeing their daughter change not once but twice was taking its toll. Clara had learned about River along with the rest the group just before the phone call bringing the group here. Amy and Rory explained her story up to Manhattan but even they didn't know half of what River had done in her life. The diary the Doctor carried in his jacket pocket apparently held all her adventures with the timelord, as well as those she undertook alone. But that didn't matter now, Clara looked at the Doctors, "Doctor, you need to get back!" she screamed at them but they didn't listen. River glowed so bright that the three timelords all disappeared completely. "Doctor!" Clara screamed. As suddenly as the light appeared from River, it seemed to absorb back into her body. The Doctors leant over her, they weren't any worse for wear. No one could see her face, but it was definitely her, "She hasn't regenerated, I can see her hair!" Amy smiled and shook her husband. Rory just stared in disbelief.

Clara walked toward the Doctors but they gave her no attention, too obsessed by their wife's condition. River suddenly sat bolt upright. She glared at both the Doctors and staggered to her feet, distancing herself from them. The Doctors both stood quickly, holding out their hands, trying to get her to come toward them. "You better not have tried to heal me again!" River growled softly, her eyes blinking, trying to regain control of her senses, and balance. The Doctors shook their heads "We were trying to rid you of excess regeneration energy. Did you look into the time vortex to long?" The Doctor asked her coldly.

"No!" River retorted, "The Master held me there, I was starting to convulse, I...I" River brought her hands to her head in pain. The Doctors ran to her and helped her sit down on the steps. The Doctor leant her against Raggedy, her eye lids fluttered and Raggedy held her close to him, one arm around her shoulder, his other hand held her shaking hands on his knee, "Hey, hush now Riv. You're going to be fine, no not fine," Raggedy moved his hand from her hands to her chin, lifting it till her eyes met his, "You're going to be amazing!" he whispered warmly, he then nuzzled her nose and leant his forehead against hers. The Doctor turned to the group, "River absorbed too much of the time vortex energy when she was changed to a timelord. It wasn't her fault though," he turned and smiled to River and his younger self, still resting their foreheads against each other, he refaced the group, "the Master must have held her in place when she tried to turn from the vortex when she should have. The energy will eventually overload her body as River can't regenerate yet, her body is still too unstable, it's still settling. The clock is counting down because the energy is time energy, so it will return to the vortex through River's body at the point it comes from, one day from now. Me and Raggedy tried to dissipate the energy but it won't leave her because River's body is still stabilising." The Doctor turned and River stood up to face him, "I'm going to black out again aren't I?" she said quietly. The Doctor nodded in reply, Raggedy stood up and replaced his arm around River's shoulders and pulled her into a hug, he looked at his older self pleadingly, "We can sort this Riv, there must be a way. I'm not losing my wife!" the Doctor said, trying to comfort her, she moved from Raggedy 's arms and looked at the Doctor "We're not really married now, you know that, not totally..." she answered him. "What do you mean, not totally?" Clara asked, voicing everyone's feelings.

The two Doctors looked at one another.

"It's why I'm here." Raggedy started to explain but the Doctor took over.

"When a timelord marries truly, they tell their partner their real name, the one given to them by the vortex. It took me a while but I finally found I could trust River completely. Raggedy fell in love with her, that happened before he trusted her though. When we married, Raggedy told her my name, at that moment our souls were joined by the vortex, her mind and mine. When River became a full timelord, the vortex gave her a new name. That would be fine except that she knows my name but I didn't know hers. It meant that our marriage was split, but not completely. River knows her name and mine, but I don't know hers so my soul split and out came bow-tie as he is the one who last had this body so he was the easiest to pull out from my head." Raggedy man straightened his bow-tie. The group stared blankly. River looked at her husbands and then addressed the group,

"Pretty boy should be inside the mature one's head, but he's not because the Doctor's soul can't handle him in there at the moment." the group's faces seemed to regain life.

"Is she your translator?" Donna asked the Doctor, he put his hands in his pockets and walked lazily over to River, "Nope, she's my fiance, and we're getting married, so River hold out your hand, that way we can get Raggedy back in my head, and that's one less problem to deal with..." Both men strode toward her but River backed away.

Raggedy tried to catch her hand, but she quickly pulled it away, "Comon River! You didn't have a problem before!" Raggedy said, anger tinged in his voice. River looked across at the current Doctor and then shook her head,

"No." she said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry i haven't updated in a while...University preparation...I left it on a rather big cliffhanger there didn't I...well back to the battlefield!**

"What do you mean 'No'?" The Doctor roared, his temper flaring in a click of a finger. River pulled herself to her full height, "No, I am not marrying you." she answered calmly, well what appeared to Clara as calm. The Doctor marched toward River but she dodged him and now stood, back facing the group, the two Doctors both facing her, faces twisted with anger, " You would marry me, but you won't marry him! Tell me is it simply because I was younger pickings! I didn't think you were so shallow!" Raggedy spat out. River hung her head, and replied quietly, "That isn't why I don't want to marry you, either of you, any of you..." River's former strength seemed to evaporate as soon as it appeared a moment earlier. The Doctors stepped toward her again but River ran sideways, springing up onto one of the parapets of the church.

"I trust you! More than anyone! Why are you doing this to me?!" The Doctor asked her more calmly. River had turned from him while he said this, but when she turned back, tears were streaming down her face, "I want you to be happy..." she whispered. The Doctors looked confused, "What do you mean?" Raggedy prompted her softly.

"You're not happy, either of you. I can see that in your eyes! If I marry you, I want every one of you to be happy, not just one face," she looked at Raggedy then back at the Doctor, and slid to her knees, her fingers poking through the stone of the parapet "I love you, each and every face, even that stupid celery... I would rather you wipe your name from my mind than see you in a marriage with someone you don't love. I witnessed the greatest love story of the universe," River looked at her parents, "I want to be happy, I want you to be happy. I just seem to be a problem to you, and I'm truly sorry if I am. I love you... I've always loved you...I..."

River burst into floods of tears, huge sobs making her shoulders shake uncontrollably. She had turned from the group and hid her face into her knees. The Doctor stared at her mystified. Raggedy however seemed more together and sprinted up the steps and pulled River to her feet, dragged her down the steps and then crushed her to his chest. "I love you! River Song, archeologist. You are the most wonderful woman in the universe!" he kissed her head and hid his face in her hair. The pair stayed like that for a few seconds before Raggedy reluctantly let go and looked worriedly at his older self, "Please," he said, "Be honest with her, you know you can be." River hadn't lifted her head, soft sobs still escaped her lips. The Doctor stared at her with his new hawk stare, eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "I've never seen you from the outside, but each and everyone of my predecessors says you're perfect for me," he began sternly, River still didn't look up. The Doctor lifted her chin with his left thumb, her face was stained with tears, eyes shimmering with uncertainty. The Doctor smiled lovingly. " You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen" he said, and wiped away tears from her cheeks with his free hand. River remained silent,

"Come here!" the Doctor said, lifting River into his arms. "You never have to be far from me again, I didn't protect you like I should have, the library should never have taken place, I should have tried harder, saving you there was a terrible idea, time has been rewritten, if only it had been me that saved you, not the Master. This never would have happened..."

He placed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, a tear fell down his cheek. River placed a hand on his cheek, wiping away the tear,

"You did save me, without you, I would have given up back at storm cage. I had to find you sweetie." The Doctor gently placed River back on the ground and moved his hands to her hips, she responded to his affection by placing her hands above his fast-beating hearts.

"Now, Professor Song," he murmured against her lips, "Let's have a proper wedding." River nodded, her eyes never left his. "We'll organise it after all this, shall we, I think we can all use Raggedy 's help...as much as I hate to admit it, the man is useful." Raggedy huffed and stamped his foot, River and the older Doctor parted. River noticed his irritated expression and giggled, "I still love you, you sentimental idiot!" she linked her arm with him and the Doctor linked his with River's free arm. The Doctors were about to walk towards the rest of the group when River withdrew her arms from the timelords and looked around anxiously, "Where's Charlotte?" her voice went cold. The Doctors span and both used their sonic screwdrivers on a panel on the organ. River turned as the panel opened and the children of the town ran toward their parents. River cried out in happiness and scooped up Charlotte in her arms.

"Mummy! Mummy! I missed you! Where were you? Why did you leave me?" Charlotte held onto her mother for dear life. "I'm sorry, my dear, oh god I'm so sorry! You never have to be far from me again, it's o.k. Charlotte! I'm o.k." The Doctors both walked over and held River and their new daughter. "Well I've seen weirder families." Jack shrugged as Amy and Rory joined in the hug, making River squeal and almost drop her daughter. "Really?" Donna smiled "They look just fine to me!"


	14. Chapter 14

Five hours had passed since River had revealed herself and Clara, like the rest of the group, was being spun in little circles by two very nutty timelords who had made a small token of each member of the group to represent them from inside their pockets or grabbing it off one of the group.

"Right, so if Jack goes with Martha and Mickey," the Doctor pointed at a eagle badge, "And they all cover the south exit..." he placed a mobile phone and Martha's engagement ring at the corners of a map showing the entire church plan.

"Yes! Yes! And if we put Amy and Rory at the western entrance..." Raggedy added a small roman figurine and a fish finger to a large map.

"Brilliant! Vastra," a lizard toy "Jenny," a game piece from a picking up swords game, "And Strax," A potato " can go here at the east wall" the Doctor clapped his younger self on the back. "Clara can hide with Charlotte in the bell tower and act as look outs." Raggedy was really getting excited about the plan as he placed a soufflé tin and a book on the area of the map where the tower was.

"Now Raggedy, why did you always get so excitable?" The Doctor shook his head. "Admit it old man, you liked it!" Raggedy span happily and the Doctor chuckled, "Of course Rose, Handy and Donna seem to be a good team, they can go...there at the second western entrance!" The Doctor placed a pair of sleek glasses, a small blonde doll and a small bride doll from the top of some wedding cake onto a corner of the church with views to the hills beyond.

"Now that leaves, you, me and River..." The Raggedy said thoughtfully. River, who had been cuddling Charlotte, put her daughter down and placed her into the care of her own parents, before skipping quite happily over to the puzzled men and swung her arms around their necks, craning her head over them, while standing on the tips of her toes. "What about the middle of the main entrance? They wouldn't expect you to be so forward..." she whispered to them, before chuckling softly at the timelords, they both smiled. "Now River! What have I told you about flirting while I'm being clever?" Raggedy mockingly scolded his fiancée but she just laughed at his tone and placed her lipstick in the centre of the church, "Best place to shoot them from Sweetie." Raggedy practically ripped off his bow tie, and tying a mock knot, placed it directly between the entrance and River, "Aww, no fair, I want to help!" River whined playfully. "You will,"The Doctor placed his wedding ring next to Raggedy 's bow tie, "But if you collapse, we want to be there to catch you." he explained, and bopped her nose, "Hey Raggedy, you were right, that is fun!" he bopped her nose again but she pouted at him, "What else mister? I know when you're hiding something, what else aren't you telling me?" she poked his shoulder and narrowed her eyes at him,

"We're worried about you...We missed you, and," The Doctor looked at his younger self, "I can't imagine what I'd do if I lost you again." The Doctor said quietly, scuffing his shoes on the floor. Raggedy took River's hand and kissed it then held it to his cheek, "I spent over a thousand years mourning you and your parents. Clara distracted me from my depression, but I never stopped thinking of what I had lost, of who I had lost..." Raggedy held out her hand and turned it in his own sadly. River watched his pained expression and then tenderly kissed his cheek, "I told you before, I have been injured far worse and had fewer supplies and still survived!" The Doctor suddenly grabbed her face and forced her to look at him, his eyes burning straight into hers, "River, you have absorbed the time vortex, you could collapse in the middle of battle. I don't want you to get even more injured than you already are, please, just hide somewhere!" He tried to take River's lipstick off the map, but she grabbed his hand and swung him to face her. The group, who had been discussing the plan of action carefully, turned at the domestic that had suddenly emerged. "Then what else have you got?!" River cried. "I have always been there whenever you needed me! Always! I can fight, I know how to kill Daleks, stone dead, I fought an entire fleet when they captured you. They fear my very name! Just tell me when you lose one of them," River pointed to the group, "What excuse will you have, when you hid me, when I couldn't help you to protect them! This is the time when you stop caring, you just think, use my strengths, use my skills, I am a trained killer, a weapon! Don't be a sentimental idiot! Use all your assets and everyone lives!" The Doctor slowly replaced the lipstick then grinned like a guilty school boy, "Raggedy, she certainly doesn't hold back, does she!" the Doctor said, "We wouldn't have her any other way." Raggedy agreed.

River just smirked and turned to get her weapons. "Oi," Raggedy span River into his arms, "Just where do you think you're going?" he growled playfully, River wormed her way out of his grip, but was caught by the Doctor who planted a kiss firmly into her neck and held her against him, "I just wanted to get my things..." she answered innocently. Raggedy had picked up River's bag and guns and swaggered over as smoothly as he could. Slowly and deliberately he threaded the holster belt around her waist and pulled it tight, River winced in pain and put a hand quickly to her tummy. Raggedy dropped the belt to the floor, the guns clattering loudly causing an echo around the church. "River are you alright? I'm so sorry; I don't know my own strength!" The Doctor pushed him away and knelt down, gently pressing River's stomach, she winced again, but less so, "How long has that been going on?" He looked up at her, but River moved away, "I don't know, I had no problems before the library, well, I did feel more tired than usual but I had been working hard before I left for the expedition, end of term reports, you know how it is." River pulled away from his touch and picked up the belt, locking it loosely round her waist.

"There see, no problem!" she went back over to Charlotte and placed her on her knee. The Doctors looked at one another quickly before turning to the group, "Right, team TARDIS!" Raggedy flashed a smile at his older counterpart and River. "Here's the plan, we kill the Dalek squadron, get in the TARDIS, sort out River, and then we get married!" Raggedy straightened his bow tie proudly.

"Hoping Sweetie..." River said aside while plating Charlotte's hair. Raggedy screwed his face up, he resembled a toddler, "And as I said after we were almost sacrificed to the rain gods, I promise I had a plan, I really did dear!" River smirked to herself absentmindedly and planted a kiss on Charlotte's head when she had finished doing her hair.

"Right, positions!" The Doctor called out.

"Erm, not to ask the obvious, but, well, how many Daleks are out there?" Rose said anxiously.

"Well I spied about forty when I was sneaking in." River waved her hand dismissively.

The group erupted into a mass of panic, all of them directing abuse at the Doctors, bar River who had run over to the Dalek bubble gun, when it flickered slightly. "Only a few minutes left till they regain mobility!" She shouted to the group, but none of them were listening, they were too busy badgering the Doctors about the 'plan' they had devised, "We are going to DIE!" Donna screeched, "Are you completely insane now, I thought even you had some sanity!" Vastra hissed, "I thought you were just a mad man in a box, not an idiot with a death wish!" Clara shouted angrily. The Doctors had retreated into each other and a corner of the church, the group just kept shouting and bawling. "Does anyone care that a bunch of angry Daleks could literally burst in that door any minute now?" River shouted, unsuccessfully attracting the groups attention, she looked at the Doctors, they seemed terrified. "Just me then..." River sighed, "And me mummy!" Charlotte took River's hand, River smiled down at her daughter. She looked across at the villagers, "Are you all ready to run?" She got vigorous nods as an answer, "Fine then, its time to call up the troops..."

The Doctors were trapped, no way out, every side was blocked by an angry face that formally loved them so dearly. Jack growled "We're doomed thanks to you and your stupid wi..." A meson blast rang out through the church, the group all turned and backed off from the two timelords as River flipped the gun back into her holster, "If you've all finished harassing my husbands-to-be, then you'll be happy to know we have an extra thirty odd pair of hands to help." she nodded toward the villagers. They turned to the villagers who had picked up guns. The Doctors both ran, relieved, to River, "Thanks honey!" Raggedy beamed, "What would I do without you?" The Doctor threaded his fingers through hers. "I don't know Sweetie, but your plan really is just a hope." she went to kiss his cheek but the Doctor swerved and met her lips with his instead. River was shocked and froze initially but relaxed to his touch and moved close to him. When they parted he took in every one of her features as she rested her forehead against his. It was the first real time he could really study her.

"Well what do you think of the new me?" he whispered softly. River opened her eyes slowly and stood back taking in the new form of her husband, "Well you're Scottish." she stated simply, and started a slow walk around him. "Your mother's influence." he answered and stole a look at Amy who was busy ushering children into the hidden compartment. "Nose is bigger two," River said and poked it to prove her point. The Doctor hummed in agreement, "The chin is smaller." she moved a finger up from his throat till it reached the tip of his chin, her movements were as slow and deliberate as Raggedy had been with her a few minutes before, The Doctor swallowed involuntarily, "Got that off your Dad." he answered quietly. She gently stroked his grey hair with one hand and with the other touched the top of his collar. Raggedy stomped over and, like a hawk, craned his neck round till his face was inches from hers, "So you did like the bow tie!" he disturbed her from her thought and she jumped slightly, "It doesn't suit everyone Sweetie, but it was definitely you...But then so does the nice new jacket." she ran a finger down one lapel on the Doctor's jacket.

Clara felt a little awkward about the level of intimacy, the three people were showing in front of her, she'd never seen the new incarnation of the Doctor show such a comfort in another's presence, and Chiny was acting extremely grown up and mature, words Clara would never associate with him, though 'grown up' was an exaggeration, he acted more like a thirty year old instead of his usual twelve year old self. She coughed and turned the others away, helping them find their attack positions. Clara then walked over to Charlotte and took her hand, "It's hard being married to someone who can change their face and personality, we should go up to the tower, I can tell you all about the Daleks as we go!" Charlotte looked back at her parents then nodded to Clara, "I could probably tell you more, Mummy told me about them, and I had an entire library of knowledge about them at my fingertips! We could talk about them instead," she nodded back to her parents as Clara and her started up the stairs to the top of the tower, "What is their real story?" Clara smiled, "It's amazing Charlotte, truly amazing!"

River gently ran her fingers of her hand that wasn't touching the older Doctor's hair, through Raggedy 's hair lovingly, "I'll give you some time to acquaint yourself with my new form, as much as it irks me to see you with another person, especially another me, you're my wife after all, and you're wife to all of me, so I suppose I have to let you get to know me again..." River kissed him softly and Raggedy giggled, then skipped over to the Dalek bubble gun and tinkered away.

The Doctor watched as River continued to look at him curiously. "Amazing!" She said finally and turned away, but the Doctor caught her wrist and span her into his arms and dipped her, "Anything else different?" he said gruffly, face inches from hers, "Not that I can see Sweetie!" River answered innocently. "Really?" The Doctor asked sadly. "Oh you mean you want me to say you look older," River replied sarcastically, "I was trying to spare your feelings Sweetie!" she added, putting a hand on his cheek. "I aged for you..." he whispered, "If you're scared that I'm not attracted to you then I can put your mind at ease dear, I see the man underneath remember, not that the package outside him is unappealing!" she chuckled and he laughed with her, "Good! So what's the same then?" he span her her feet and let go, River replaced her hand on his cheek, "Your mind, your wit, your eyes..."she sighed, "They're a different colour." The Doctor pouted, "Not what I meant." River smiled, she then moved her hand slowly to the time lord's chest, her other hand resting there already, "Your hearts?" she looked up hopefully, the Doctor saw uncertainty in River's eyes. It was the first time she truly looked unsure as to whether he still felt the same about her as he once did. "Different body, but that's not what you meant either, is it?" He moved his hands to her hips, she shook her head, curls bouncing everywhere. "The organs may be new, but the feeling's contained within are still the same." he said, reassuring her belief in this by kissing her forehead. "Then I think I love the new you just as much as the old one." Both of them closed her eyes for a second then a huge bang shook the church and Raggedy ran over,

"They're here..." he growled.


	15. Chapter 15

"Quick! Take out their eye stalk!" Amy and Rory shouted. They both turned their guns onto the four Daleks advancing toward them. "It's no use, we're just slowing them down, their shields are still up!" Rory said, firing straight into the Daleks blue eye but the bullet just bounced straight off. "Just hold them off till we can retreat back to the centre, stupid face!" Amy screeched. They both fired again into the metal onslaught and walked backward, the Daleks closed in.

"Madam Vastra we have to go, there are too many!" Jenny screamed across at Vastra as she hit another Dalek's gun with her sword, denting it slightly. Strax had already joined Jenny and was shooting at a battered Dalek who seemed more battle scared than the others, "Dalek, you will surrender to the mighty Sontaran empire!" he bellowed out, but the Dalek just carried on advancing. The three friends backed against the wall, Daleks all around them, "If this is the end Jenny, I..." Vastra looked across but Jenny was staring straight ahead, smiling. Vastra looked at what Jenny was smiling at and a smile graced her lips also. "Hello again!" Martha waved, Jack and Mickey had guns pointed directly at a pile of three smoking Daleks. "You may want one these!" Martha threw three large black guns at the feet of Vastra, Jenny and Strax, "The villagers had a few of them, only enough for the six of us." Vastra, Jenny and Strax picked up the guns and fired at the Daleks. Sparks flew and the team of six retreated to the centre of the church to fight it out.

"This is totally ridiculous!" Donna shouted across to Rose who was repeatedly banging a now rather senseless Dalek on the head. "SYS...SYSTEMS...FAIL...FAILING..." The Dalek's eye piece dimmed and blackened, Handy, who had been watching his wife's anger found it all rather amusing and smirked, "Leave some for the rest to kill dear!" he teased, Rose looked across at John leaning against the wall and narrowed her eyes, "Well at least try to help Dear!" she replied sarcastically. He sighed and pushed himself from the wall, reached for a large black mallet and began hammering on the next Dalek's head.

"Run!" the three of them turned to the female voice. Amy and Rory ran toward them, "We've set an explosive charge on one of the Daleks!" Amy said as she whizzed past, "You might want to follow us to the centre!" Rory added as he ran behind his wife. Handy grabbed both Donna's and Rose's hand,

"Allons-y!" he leaped forward pulling the two women behind him.

"Where's the TARDIS?!" Clara called to the Doctor over a radio she had been given by one of the villagers. A long pause gave her time to look around the area. All the Daleks were now inside the church and Charlotte had very calmly given instructions to the Villagers to leave via the crypt under the church. Clara had wondered how the little girl knew so much. Charlotte answered with far more age and worry than she physically appeared, "There were maps of all sorts of places in the library. I spent centuries with an entire universe of information at my fingertips, but all I ever wanted was a normal life, it was only really when River adopted me I learned the use of the knowledge I had access to. River taught me the importance of understanding the past and respecting the future unseen, but even I didn't know why she felt that way, I guess her relationship with my Dad now makes it clear. They won't leave me, will they?" Clara put a reassuring hand on the young girl's shoulder, "They love you C.A.L., I see the love in their eyes." Charlotte looked up at Clara, "Actually it's C.A.S. now, I called myself Charlotte Abigail Song after River adopted me, does the Doctor have a surname?" Clara's smiled faulted briefly, "I don't know...Only River and him know his real name, A timelord's name is only revealed to the one they truly marry. It's a secret even his closest friends and family don't know..." Charlotte took Clara's hand, "It's alright Clara. The best stories have the biggest secrets! I know that! The Doctor's stories are my favourite, though my mummy's are just as amazing!" Clara smiled then realised the Doctor was talking to them. "Clara and Charlotte, can you hear me?!" Clara nearly dropped the radio, "Yes! YES! We're here, where's the TARDIS? Can't you call it?" "We have, You can come down now, the Torchwood team will meet you at the bottom of the stairs. Charlotte before you ask, Mum is amazing!" there was a small pause before the Doctor continued, sounding irritated "River, really, I know everyone else is shooting the Daleks, but that doesn't mean you can swing that gun of yours around just shooting every one of them that moves, they're running away from you honey, you can stop now!" the radio cut off as the Doctor got involved in another domestic with his wife. Clara shrugged and Charlotte tugged Clara down the stairs to meet Jack and the others. "All the others are in the TARDIS," Jack said as the two girls met up with him "except Song and the Doctors, they're still shooting. Well Song is shooting, the Doctors are just pointing their Screwdrivers at any Dalek that comes near. Do you want to watch, it's hilarious!" The trio ran to safety of the TARDIS, electronic shooting could be heard behind it.

When Clara rounded the corner of the ship she stopped dead in her tracks. Ahead of her the two Doctors and River were pressed against each other's backs, all shouting to each other, green and red flashes zooming from River's two guns and the Doctors' two sonics.

"Honey, how many more?!" the Doctor shouted above the noise,

"I don't know, we've taken out at least fifteen! How many have the others got?" River asked exasperated.

"I'll check. Oi, team TARDIS! How many Daleks did you guys get?!" Raggedy looked at the group briefly then carried on pointing his sonic at the metal soldiers. The group looked at one another and totalled up the tally, "erm...five..." Jack mumbled. The Doctor wheeled round, a steely look of disdain etched into his features, "Five between you! What were you all doing? You weren't laying down on the job were you!" he shouted in disbelief, River kicked the back of his knee in defence of the group. Raggedy hadn't noticed this and threw his hands in the air, "What is the point in having you all?!" he exclaimed. River smacked him over the back of the head and then aimed at another Dalek, a red blast hitting it straight in it's eye socket, knocking it out with a massive explosion of sparks, "That's twenty one, and for everyone's information, I killed nine of those fifteen Daleks. If the both of you sentimental idiots aren't going to be of use then shut up and drive!"

"Yes dear..." the Doctors both replied in unison. The two timelords stopped swinging round their Sonics and sprinted into the TARDIS, starting up the engines. River shouted to them inside, "I bet you the last jammy dodger in your tin that I can kill the last nineteen in one swoop!" She exclaimed confidently. The Doctor chuckled happily but Raggedy must have felt the deal unfair as he whined a plaintive response, "This isn't a contest Honey, your life is at stake you know!" River swung her guns in her fingers, dodging a pulse from one of the Daleks' guns. "I'm quite aware Sweetie,my life is usually at stake, you don't have to remind me, are you ready yet? The Daleks are getting a little," she dodged two more shots and growled in the direction of the two men, "agitated...Are you two even listening? I SAID..."

"Yes! Yes! River, we heard you, we're ready, end this now!" the Doctor ordered, River sighed and lifted her guns in opposite directions slowly, "Here goes..." she fired two shots simultaneously at the two nearest Daleks then span and shot the next two perpendicular to the first shots. Four down, she span her guns and took out further five in an elegant spin, then ducked as two shots fired over her head, she span on her toes from a crouch and took out the two perpetrators of the shots. Clara and the others looked on in awe, River's cold look as she hacked through another five Daleks in various methods showed the efficiency and merciless nature of her conditioning. "What did the silence do to her when she was a little girl to turn her into this...this...killer?" Rose breathed, tears touching at her eyes, Amy and Rory stood in silence, resembling statues, no expression on their face. Amy answered with an icy touch to her voice, "They blamed all her pain they subjected her to on them." she nodded to the Doctors, the men stood staring at the console screen, eyes following River's every move as she took out two more. Rory put an arm round his wife, "She became the perfect weapon, so she could destroy the man who separated her from her family." Clara looked out at River pointing both her guns at the last remaining Dalek. "What stopped her? What stopped her killing him?" River shot the last Dalek, swiftly, holstered her guns and had heard Clara's question to the group as she walked into the ship.

"It turned out he was part of my family two, He had spent a long time looking for me and would stop at nothing to get me back. He went to war for me... He was willing to die for someone I thought he hardly even knew, little did I know till later, he had known me for over a century already. My Doctor would always be there to save me...So what else could I do but spare him." she answered softly, betraying the real personality under the hot-headed mask she wore most of the time. The Doctor and Raggedy both placed their hands on their hips, "Don't forget how much you fancied me dear!" The Doctor cooed. "You said I was hot!" Raggedy added proudly, adjusting his bow tie which was already straight.

"I lie Sweetie, just like you!" River smiled and closed her eyes after bouncing onto the pilot's seat. Both Doctors looked at each other then at River, who chuckled with her eyes still closed, "I'm joking, you're both amazing! Now," she opened her eyes and leaped out the seat, "Where's my biscuit?"


	16. Chapter 16

Jack watched Song cautiously from the corner of the TARDIS he was leaning against. River had changed to one of her 'usual' adventuring outfits and was currently holding Charlotte on her lap and in an animated conversation. All Jack could make out was that she was talking to the girl about the Doctor as occasionally Song would point over to the two timelords who were squabbling over who should fly the ship, and Charlotte and the war criminal would share a giggle. "I still don't know about her." he said to the group. River must have heard this as she looked at him suddenly, but her gaze wasn't nearly as hard as he had expected. "She almost looks hurt by my comment." he thought. River gently placed Charlotte down and walked over, lacking any form of confidence, she looked child-like as she wrung her hands together. "Jack," she began, the Doctors had both stopped arguing and watched their fiance with a look of concern. "Please, I know you've heard all the rumors, learned all the stories, but that's all they are, I would never...never..." River's clutched her head and stifled a cry. The Doctors both sprinted to her side and the older Doctor lowered her gently to the floor, curling her body gently into his arms. Raggedy smoothed down River's clothes and then stroked her hair, the sadness in his eyes matched by his elder self. "It's alright Riv, I've got you, just hang in there, you can sleep for a bit dear, Raggedy will stay with you." the Doctor cooed. River moaned softly, she tried to push herself upright, "It's fine, I'm fine, I'm..." her hand slipped and she dropped back into the safety of the Doctor's arms. Raggedy turned her face to meet his own. "No Riv. You're not fine, you have never been in so much danger as you are in now. Rest honey," he planted a kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering on her brow, "Rest..." River's eye lids blinked slowly, her eyes started to glaze over. The Doctor stroked a finger down her cheek and River turned her gaze to him, her breathing had evened out, "Hey my beautiful Pond, let's go see the stars. You and me," the Doctor whispered, "Sleep easy honey, me and Raggedy aren't going anywhere, you can stand down, my loyal soldier, hush now...shh..." he kissed her lips and she reached up to his face, her eyes near closed from exhaustion, "I haven't slept since I left the Vortex...I...I can't leave you without any defence...the Master...he...he wants something, he has a plan, I need to tell you, I need to...to..." The Doctor kissed her again and her hand fell. When Jack could see her face again, River was asleep. Her face was still etched with worry but her breathing had become much less erratic. The Doctor brought one of his arms under River's legs and lifted her with ease, his eyes studying her sleeping face. Raggedy stood with the Doctor and gently placed River's arms around the Doctor's neck. The Doctor then curled River up so her head was tucked into his neck. "Our brave girl..." The Doctor said smiling sadly at Raggedy. Raggedy nodded in reply and took the TARDIS controls, "In autopilot you go, old girl, I need to be with Riv, not flying round like a mad fool." The Doctor turned to the group, "Amy, Clara, Rory show everyone to the lounge and Kitchen, there are plenty of places to sit and the cupboards are fully stocked with food, I'll return shortly, Raggedy will stay with River, I need to get you all home, this is too dangerous for you all..." Before any complaints could break out from the group, the Doctor walked off into the TARDIS with River in his arms, Raggedy close by his side.

"Poor Professor Song..." Clara sighed "She looks really ill." Amy touched Rory's arm, "I've never seen her look so weak. Oh Rory, our little girl is dying and we can do nothing..." Rory put an arm around Amy's shoulders"Now Mrs. Williams, I promise you, I will never let anyone get away with hurting our child, Melody is in the best care, The Doctor promised he would keep her safe." Amy suddenly looked angry, "And leaving her in a library data base, that's safe is it?! I can't trust him the same way I used to, yet Melody seems to feel no differently than when I first met her. Her blind faith in that man got her locked in prison, lost from her parents and even killed... How can she still love him?" Rory turned Amy to face him, "I waited two thousand years for you, I died repeatedly, I suffered when I thought you loved the Doctor instead of me! I still loved you, i will always love you! Amy, to see my daughter in pain hurts me, but I know that the Doctor will take care of her, I know because in the church, when I looked in his eyes, both their eyes, I see the look I see in my own eyes when I look in the mirror, when I think of you..."Rory cried and held Amy to his chest. Jack huffed.

Rory looked up, angry, "And you can shut up, Harkness, You heard what happened to her, You know she is innocent, you know!" Jack sighed, "I guess...Doesn't mean I trust her... She stole my square gun and she's taken my vortex manipulator." Donna tapped him on the shoulder, "You might want to check the seat over there Jack..." Jack turned and ran over to the pilot seat. The square gun was on the seat, along with a note.

"What does it say?" Clara asked as the group piled in. Jack turned to the group, a soft smile on his face. "I can trust her...I'm sorry Amy, Rory. I can trust her...We all can." Clara repeated her question. Jack handed the note to her and the group all read the message.

_"I'm truly sorry Captain Harkness, please forgive me for the theft of this gun, I needed it for an expedition. I was planning to return it before you even noticed it missing; however I went to the Library and obviously you know the rest. Face of Bo, I am truly sorry. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor River Song._

_P.s.I still need the vortex manipulator, trying to get the Doctor to answer his phone is impossible, how else is a girl to get around when her husband won't come to pick her up!"_

It was at this point the Doctor returned, his face was grim, "Doctor are you crying?" Clara asked softly. The Doctor scrubbed his face, his eyes were red and blotchy, "Of course not, just alot of dust in the corridor. I haven't had a good spring clean for a while, probably need to...Anyway, let's get you all somewhere safe, It's far too dangerous to put you harm's way." he began to dance away at the console, though his movements were slightly slurred. Amy walked over and turned the Doctor to face her, "We can't leave her Raggedy man, I won't leave my daughter. She protected me for many years, I'm not about to leave her alone when she needs me!" Rory joined her, "She's my little girl, her dad will always come for her, I am not standing by and doing nothing!" the Doctor nodded slowly but turned away again. Clara blocked his route to the other side of the console. "You really love her don't you." she said softly, the Doctor nodded shyly, his head hanging to the floor. The group looked at one another. "Then we aren't going anywhere!" Rose surmised the group's resolve. The Doctor looked up at each group member and smiled, "Then I guess I need to plan where we go next." Raggedy then reappeared, "I can hear you all from my room! Keep it down, Riv is sleeping!" he whispered in an angry hush. The group all scuffed their shoes like guilty school children. The Doctor walked over to Raggedy, "How is she?" he asked concerned, Raggedy gulped, we don't have long...barely more than five hours at most, anyone else would have slipped into a coma by now..." the Doctor patted his younger self comfortingly, "But Riv is a superhero remember!" he shared a small half smile with Raggedy. "O.k. Gang let's..." The Doctor's cheery disposition fell abruptly and he span angrily to the console screen.

"Tick Tock, goes the clock...how is our little weapon doing? Is she dead yet? I do hope not, I do so like playing with her little head..." Kovarian laughed darkly, the two Doctors growled. It seemed to Jack like the men's hackles were rising like that of a cat. "Leave us alone." Raggedy spat out, his eyes danced dangerously, "We will destroy you." The Doctor added, his eyes stone cold. Tasha Lem appeared alongside Kovarian.

"Is it hard to watch one of your little pets die?" she asked mockingly. "River is not my pet!" Raggedy screamed hastily. "Alright," Tasha rolled her eyes, "Your companion then..."

"She isn't my companion either." the Doctor replied plainly, hanging his head. Tasha's widened then quickly returned to the teasing look they had earlier. "I don't care what she is to you, I'm just glad I can get a reaction out of you. It's more than I got when I was threatening Clara's life." she smiled but her face fell as the Doctor raised his head to the screen. "You have no idea what you have done...She's my wife." he narrowed his eyes.

"You married her in an alternate timeline that doesn't exist, she isn't your wife!" Tasha scoffed.

"That's what the universe thinks, I have many secrets, all of them I have shared with River." the Doctor said proudly. Tasha looked scared all of a sudden. "Wait you mean she's your...your actual wife..." Kovarian whimpered. The Doctor nodded, Tasha stepped back from the screen, as if she was trying to run from the two Doctors. "And you, Tasha Lem, have made a humungous mistake. In a small way, I thank you. Without the silence, I wouldn't have my wife, you gave her the skills to survive, but that is where my thanks ends. When you look back on your plan, are you proud? When you thought taking her, the woman I LOVE!" The Doctor roared and entire audience of his friends and foes shuddered in fear, Charlotte sniffled as tears formed in her eyes. The Doctor noticed her and picked her up, soothing her gently. " I hope you're proud Tasha for if she dies, you will bring all my wrath upon you, your life and all your followers are in the hands of my dying wife. The only reason why I have not acted against you yet is because River is far more important. Tasha Lem, you disgust me!" The Doctor turned away but Raggedy had yet to speak his eyes had not moved since the two members of the order had appeared and the hate in his eyes seemed to radiate all over his body, making his chest heave.

"I feel ill at the thought of when I kissed you, although you were brave then, I am ashamed of you now, you are barely an adversary of mine. You make me sick..." Raggedy slammed his hand on a button on the console and switched off the faces of the two terrified women. He then stomped off back to his room. The Doctor stood against the console, his fists clenched white against the edge. Clara put a hand on his shoulder, "Doctor?" she tried to comfort him but instead the timelord screamed in rage and kicked the console base, receiving an angry whine from the TARDIS, "I'm sorry old girl..." he sobbed and stroked the console softly, "I just don't understand why they always hurt her, they always hurt her to get to me. Why are they such cowards? Why can they not just face me? Hurt me... She has to hide it all from me, if River ever let her past get to her, she would start to cry and never stop. And she really does hide it all, she still keeps going, and for what? For whom?!" he slumped down against the console. It was then Rose pushed away from the wall, she took Martha's hand and then Amy's and strode forward. On the way Amy grabbed Donna's hand who turned and took Clara's hand and the women all surrounded the Doctor who looked utterly defeated. The women all nodded to each other and spoke as one mass, "FOR YOU!" The Doctor looked up at them. "You're the only person she will ever truly love." Rose said, looking at John. "You always come when she calls for you." Martha smiled, waving her phone at him. "You're the man she married." Donna pointed out obviously, putting her hands on her hips. The Doctor had started to regain his composure and had stood up, leaning himself against the console. "You're part of her family..." Amy whispered, he smiled, "I'm part of you're family, Pond." he turned to Clara, but Clara didn't know what to say. She looked around for help from the others but no help came, then something Vastra said popped into her head, "She knows she's the only person in the entire universe that you trust completely. You need her..." Clara said, the Doctor pushed up from the console and brushed down his jacket, "Yes Clara, I need her, but right now, she needs me," he span and started to fly the ship which responded quickly, as if it two wished to help River. "If I can find an old Vortex opening there may be some old timelord technology which can..." The TARDIS shook, sending the passengers tumbling all around the main console room. "Why can't you drive properly?" Clara shouted at the Doctor but he was busy panicking, he replied after checking at least thirty different light bulbs that were furiously blinking. "That wasn't me..." Jack ,who had been flung over one of the railings ,pushed himself off, then helped a very confused Donna to her feet. She slapped him away, muttering some near inaudible curse about how the Doctor was a "Stupid space man..." It was at this point the group heard Raggedy's agitated tone seep through into the console room, "What the hell is going on in there? River is trying to sleep! Luckily she is still out!" Mickey, who had just pulled his head out of a upturned bin, looked confused, "Lucky for who?" he said, looking around the group. "Lucky for the whole lot of us. I woke her once when she was asleep in Stormcage to take her on a adventure, I was bored and I needed some excitement, so I figured River would be up for some fun. I opened the door lock, crept into her cell and I woke her, very gently by the way, just so you all know..."

"What did she do?" Jack asked, "She slapped me..." Raggedy sighed. Amy screwed up her face, "Is that it, she always slaps you when you're being an idiot. She didn't want to be woken up, I can understand why!" The Doctor shook his head at her, "She ate my last jammy dodger when she came with me, then she teased me..."

"About eating your biscuit?" Clara cocked her head at him. The Doctor was taken aback in shock,"No!" then he blushed "She robbed my bow tie and hid in the TARDIS until I apologised...I had to try to seduce her with the promise of an adventure of a lifetime...it didn't work though...she just tied my blue beauty in her hair. So there was only one solution..." the TARDIS chimed like she was chuckling darkly. The Doctor surveyed the group's blank faces, he huffed. "What did you do?!" Clara said, she was on the edge of her seat, River's reputation terrified her. The Doctor turned his back to the group, opened a compartment on the console and took out an object. A wheezing noise filled the room followed by a rubbery squeal. The Doctor turned back and held up a red balloon. Vastra and Jenny raised their eyebrows, "Really old friend?" Vastra said in disbelief. The Doctor popped the balloon in response, "Oh Vastra that wasn't our first time, or by no means the last...But the challenge of getting back my bowtie was far too tempting," he licked his lips, "And the reward was the best I could have wished for..." the group all realised, "And the penny drops!" The Doctor cheered. Amy stomped up to him, "We weren't on board at the time, were we?" the Doctor was about to answer when the sparks flew from the TARDIS and the ship lurched violently, groaning and screeching. Everyone gripped any railing they could find as the Doctor jumped and scurried around the console, pressing any button he could. "Doctor!" the Group all cried. The Tardis span and wailed as it tumbled out of the vortex, sending the travelers into oblivion.


	17. Chapter 17

_River, River, please wake up! You need to wake up! Come on, open your eyes child...My thief needs you...River you don't have long, I'm not losing my daughter again! Get up!_

River woke with a start, the sheets of the Doctor's bed covering the majority of her body, her head constantly throbbed and her eyes still hadn't fully settled. She scrubbed her face and took in her surroundings. The room was a right old state. Clothes and ornaments were thrown across the floor, the closet was upturned on the other side of the room. She felt the warmth of a hand on her own and looked down. Raggedy was holding her hand, his eyes were shut. "He's out cold old girl," River spotted Charlotte and Rose on the floor to the other side of the bed "They all are...what happened?" River thought to the TARDIS.

_We were attacked Riv. I think it was a silence ship, but that wouldn't make sense, they were miles away...I think it was the Master. You need to tell them both, what you know, what the Master wants. I landed us somewhere safe. They'll wake up in a second, I transported them from the main control console. There were far too many sparks, it could have hurt them. You have less than three hours at most, please dear, please we need to get the plan under way now!_

River nodded and sent a mental thanks to her mother. Raggedy's eyes fluttered open.

"Riv..." he coughed and ran a clumsy hand through his mop of fluffy hair. "You're awake! Oh River, I was worried dear, so worried!" River smiled softly, "Well I'm awake now!" he smiled but concern was clearly visible on his face, "How much does it hurt?" River looked away, "Not much sweetie, it's just a little annoying that's all." Charlotte and Rose stirred at thus point and both scrambled to the two on the bed, "Mummy! You're o.k. again! I was scared...I tried to be brave but..." River held her daughter close to her chest, "You are brave sweet heart, you are far braver than me." Rose took River's hand, "He was crying for you, you know. You really must mean the universe to him." River averted her gaze from the young woman, "I wouldn't say that..." she whispered. "I would!" a Scottish squeal came from under the fallen closet in the corner. They all turned, "Sweetie, how did you get under there?" The closet shook slightly, "Under where, where is everyone? Am I dead? I do hope not, this better not be what it's like after I regenerate, it boring and smells like an old closet, with perfume..." The group looked at one another pitifully, "I'm really like that now?" Raggedy whined, River nodded in empathy. Raggedy shook his head, "Gosh I'm old..." A bang came from the closet, "Ow! My leg! Oof I heard that, you old fool, get me out of here!" the Doctor barked. River, Rose and Charlotte all started sniggering. Raggedy heaved himself off the bed and swaggered over to the wardrobe, picking it up with ease. The Doctor had a red face and grumbled as Raggedy pulled him to his feet. The Doctor looked around with a childish scowl but immediately smiled when he saw River was awake and leaped onto the bed inches from her face. "Hi honey!" He cooed shyly. River touched her forehead to his, "Hello Sweetie..." she sighed, shutting her eyes. Raggedy made a small yelp and darted onto the bed behind her. "Hey, you're my wife two, what's he got that I haven't?" River looked up at him and then leant back into his arms, "Nothing dear, you're both just as amazing as each other." the Doctor moved to her side and gently touched two fingers to her neck. "All good, but you're pulse is a little high for my liking dear." River simply nodded in reply, her eyes still shut, trying desperately to block the headache that was filling her mind.

_Open your eyes Riv, they both need you right now, you can sleep after all this is over._

River obeyed and stared straight into her husband's new very piercing gaze, "You know, I don't find that intimidating in the slightest, don't you?" she joked, trying to avert his concern. "Yes, but I'm worried Riv, we both are." She shot them both a dangerous look, "And being sentimental is going to get you where exactly. We need to get to the control room and find the others, the TARDIS transported you here when she was attacked. Who knows where she put the others, probably somewhere confusing, hopefully there's someone in each group who knows where they're going..." Rose looked puzzled, "How would you know that, you were unconscious when it happened!" River looked upwards, though really she could have looked anywhere, "The TARDIS told me, she and I tell each other everything..." she looked at the Doctors again, they both swallowed hard. "Just tell me it was because she was being brave that you kissed her, Tasha Lem ruined my entire life I could have had with my parents, I hope you know that!" the two men hung their heads, "We do now." Raggedy whispered sadly, then his head shot up, "But yes, it was because she was brave!" I thought of you when I kissed her, It made me stop...I feel sick at the thought of it now..." River put a hand on his cheek, he lifted his head with tears welling at his eyes, "Hush now, I just wanted to know, to lose you to her of all people, would have put an end to me..." The Doctor grabbed her wrist and planted a kiss on her palm, "How can you ever forgive me, after all I've subjected you to?" he said, nudging her hand with his nose. "Because you are the best friend I've ever had! And there's the small matter of you being the man I'm hopelessly in love with..." River laughed softly, her head hurt less now, but the pain was still there. He looked up and kissed her palm again, "How did I ever deserve you?" she laughed again and pushed herself away from her doting husbands, "I don't know you must have done something either really good or extremely wicked!" River beamed "Let's go, I need to get my TARDIS legs back!" the others followed. The Doctors both grabbed Charlotte's hands and scurried ahead, both trying to tell the small child everything about the TARDIS that wouldn't completely bamboozle the girl. Rose and River took up the rear.

"What's it really like then?" Rose asked all of a sudden. River looked across at the young woman. "Oh you mean, matrimony with a mad man!" she said, emphasising mad man. The Doctors gave no reaction, far too interested in their new daughter. Rose laughed, "You get away with things none of us would even think of saying to him!" Rose said ,linking an arm with River who smiled softly before whispering back, "Believe me when I say this, what I say in front of you is nothing compared to what he says when its only him and I alone in this old girl." the two women giggled. "It's nice to know there's another woman going through the same constant worry and frustration associated with being married to him." River tightened her arm slightly against Rose's. Rose nodded, "If the other people in this group knew just how much work it is dealing with the man's real personality, they wouldn't be nearly so eager to marry him!" Rose nudged River playfully, the two women laughed again. "Do you think they realise we're talking about them?" Rose asked.

"We could find out..." River said, raising an eyebrow suggestively. The two wives turned to each other and Rose raised equally mischievous eyebrows.

**In one of the many Kitchens of the TARDIS...**

"Eugh...my head...did someone hit me?" Donna thought, opening her eyes but her eyes were still fuzzy and all she could make out were some arms and legs dangling in front of her. She scrubbed her eyes and realised the legs belonged to a women and the arms, a man. She tugged the legs and they moved. "Woah!" a Scottish accent piped up, "Who touched my legs! It better not have been you Harkness, considering your arms are hanging down over this counter!" the voice that Donna recognised as Amy, continued in a squeal. "Nope, wasn't me, are we in a kitchen?" An American accent replied."That's Jack." Donna thought. "Yep, this is the kitchen I do all my soufflés in." a young woman added, Donna noticed another pair of legs dangling off a counter on the other side of the space, "That must be Clara..." Donna thought. She suddenly worked out, she appeared to be in a cubby hole under a kitchen counter. "Who, or what touched my leg then?" Amy asked again. "Well it wasn't us neither miss!" "Cockney accent...Jenny!" Donna realised, two people walked forward toward the the legs and arms in front of Donna's face. "We were collapsed next to each other against the kitchen entrance..." Donna recognised this as Vastra. "Then what is it?!" Amy sounded scared. "Me..." Donna spoke up. The arms suddenly vanished and a familiar face appeared from the top of the counter. "Donna! What are you playing at?" Jack laughed and pulled her out from the cubby hole. "Did we all black out? How are we here? Are we safe?" Donna spun round, panicked. The group all shrugged. "Do you think the others are alright?" Jenny said, putting a hand on Vastra's arm. The Silurian nodded, "I assume so, the ship probably moved us somewhere safe. Clara hadn't been listening and was instead tutting at an oven, "Too beautiful to live..." she sighed. Clara turned the group holding up a burnt looking splodge, "I swear this ship does this to me just to be mean. Not one soufflé I have made here is right!" Vastra and Jenny tried their best to comfort Clara and Amy began to pace. "Well there doesn't seem to be a sign of either Doctor, I guess I'll have to find Rory and Melody by myself..." Amy muttered and walked toward the kitchen door then turned to the group. "Well you guys coming? If I find River, she can lead us to the others by talking to the TARDIS!" the group followed on. "What can't she do?!" Jack muttered.

"She can't stand snakes, she won't move from a spot till they've all been cleared or she's burnt them all to a crisp!" Amy shouted to him from her place at the front of the group in the hall. "Snakes! Wait so she's a professor of archeology at a university, she goes on amazing adventures, shoots guns, blows stuff up and she's afraid of snakes!" Clara asked puzzled, "Yes, what of it?" Amy replied, "Indiana Jones, anyone?" Clara looked around at the group. She got blank looks from Vastra and Jenny, but Amy started to laugh. "Apparently River and the Doctor saved a young George Lucas from a boulder alien, must have left an impression. Maybe I should sing the theme song next time I see my daughter, though the face I could get from her could destroy a civilisation, it probably has," Amy laughed, "You should see the scowl my girl can pull, it makes the Doctor's scowl seem almost like a smile! To be fair to River, she is usually of a rather cheery disposition, in fact she only really shows a temper around the Doctor...and even then it's only when he's doing something incredibly ego-centric, or making up some stupid plan that has got himself or someone else into trouble...she's a good girl really!" there was a long pause before the group all laughed and walked onwards into the TARDIS.

**In one of the many Libraries of the TARDIS...**

"Woah...What happened?" John sprang to his feet and, meerkat-like, scurried round the desk and quickly located a very confused looking Martha, who was sprawled over a large armchair. "Where are we?" She asked breathlessly. "The TARDIS library." He answered, then noticed Mickey in a corner, under a pile of leather bound books. Martha ran to him and pulled him to his feet and a huge hug, "Let me see, Are you alright?" she said, scrutinizing over his entire body. Mickey pulled her face to his, "I'm fine! But what about everyone else?" he, Martha and John looked around for others but saw no one.

"The TARDIS must have protected us from the attack." A gentle voice spoke up from the entrance to the Library. The trio turned and saw Rory in the Archway, beside him stood Strax. "We have scouted ahead and found a corridor Rory recognises that goes back to the main console." the Sontaran barked. Rory lips twitched sideways at a sight behind them. "I think we need to clean up first..." he smirked. John and the others turned and only then noticed the utter chaos before them. Books had been flung from shelves, shelves on their sides and chairs on their backs. John looked back to Rory, "I never did that much reading, the universe must be really boring now..." Rory laughed at John's comment then started to pick up books. "Actually, I think you only read when River wasn't around, and even when she was, you two spent alot of time together in here away from us." John didn't like where this was going. "Why?" he asked suspiciously. Rory smirked again, "Because you were both trying to hide from me and Amy kissing. You acted like children!" John started to laugh, as the others also started to pick up books and shelves. "We best get to work then!" John said, and picked up a chair.


	18. Chapter 18

"River! Rose! Pack it in!" Raggedy put a hand over his eyes to block the suggestions of the two women who were whispering very naughty but awfully tempting notions behind both him and his older counterpart. "River, just what sort of impression does this give our child?" the Doctor whined. However irritatingly well the two women knew him, the Doctor still admired the women in his life, the difference between them was barely noticeable, though River's ideas were a little less human than Rose's. "She put you up to this didn't she!" raggedy screeched at Rose but the young woman just giggled at his response. "Actually, I was the one who suggested teasing you, River just wanted to see how long it took for you two to notice we were talking about you, she was the innocent one in all this!" Rose cooed. At this point the group had reached the console. The room was near pitch black bar a few flickering lights. Charlotte hung like a limpet to River's waist. River looked across at the Doctor. She gave him a worried look. "She's telling me the start-up mechanisms aren't working, Doctor she's really scared...I'm scared." she bit her lip nervously. The Doctor gently laced his fingers through River's own and squeezed them softly. He and Raggedy both relayed a thought of empathy to his wife, he could sense her fear, and every time he did so in all their adventures, he would comfort her. She sent a thought of thanks back, filling his mind with warmth. "We'll sort this Darling." the Doctor said, and gave her a long, lingering kiss on her neck, causing River to lean slightly into him and let out a slight moan. This of course annoyed Raggedy. "When I said you could get to know him better, can you do this when I'm, well not here!" River smoothly released herself from the Doctor's grasp and pressed herself firmly against Raggedy."Well what did you expect, introducing me to a fine older gentleman? I still love you, you know that right? Please tell me you do!" River said, the last part almost a child-like whisper, her eyes shut and her head lay above his two fast-beating hearts. Raggedy rested his chin in her hair on the top of her head, shutting his eyes also. "I know dear,I know," he spoke, his voice thick with emotion, "It's just seeing you with him, with me, I can't get over the fact I'm not...I'm not," a tear rolled down his cheek into her hair."I not your husband..." River raised her head and braced her forehead against his, "You will always be MY husband. My love. My sweet bowtie-wearing sentimental idiot!" she said and kissed him softly. The Doctor walked over and gently pulled River sideways to support her along with Raggedy. "Maybe it's best for all of us if we share the duties of husband, hmm." he said, licking his lips. Raggedy and River nodded.

"Oi you three are not having some moment again are you? I don't want to see my daughter as a bigamist!" the group all turned to see Amy, Clara, Jack, Donna, Vastra and Jenny all stood, smirking, in the doorway.

"You're all alright!" Raggedy cried with happiness.

"Thank goodness!" The Doctor agreed. Both kissed River's cheeks and sat her down on the pilot's seat then ran up to the newly emerged group. Rose and Charlotte sat by River and Charlotte handed her mum a blanket. Rose wrapped it around River, River seemed a little irritated at the fuss everyone was making. Amy noticed this and, after being nearly squeezed to death by both Doctors ushered Rose and Charlotte to give her daughter a little space. "Thanks mum..." River didn't meet her mum's gaze. Amy hugged her. "Its going to be fine dear, gosh it is dark in here, what happened?" River didn't answer for a second so Amy looked up to see the Doctors giving everyone massive hugs and waffling on about how "The TARDIS couldn't start up." and "That's why carrots were good for you because you can see in the dark" Amy lifted her daughter's head. "Ah other mum is ill, I see, well I'm sure you three can sort her out!" River nodded softly, "Now where is your father? I swear that man is always getting lost! Oh well I guess the Pond girls will have to go on a Roman hunt!" River smiled slightly, "That's my girl!" Amy cheered, "Now what's with the blanket, granddaughter?" Charlotte put a hand on River's knee, "Mummy looked sad, I though the Blanket would make her warm and happy." River rested her face in the little girl's hair. "Thank you dear, I do appreciate it. I'm sorry I'm ill, this must be terrible for you." Charlotte looked up at her mother, "Yes, but I've got a huge family out of it, so as long as you get better, I'll be happy!" Amy picked up the girl and popped her on her lap, "Yes Melody, get better dear, I'll worry a lot less!" River smiled properly know, "I'll try mother, I don't want you to worry, that's my husband's job!"

This the Doctors both heard, and bouncing over to her, they took her hands and kissed them. "I always worry about you..."Raggedy whispered. "I can't stop worrying, is this what being in love with someone is like in this body because if it is, I don't like it." The Doctor grumbled, then looked up expecting an angry remark from River, but she just smiled, "Now you know how I feel all the time when I'm with you, and when I'm not." she said. The Doctor kissed her hand again and then stood up, trying to ascertain, what actually happened and where they were. It was then Rory appeared. "John, the Doctor will not like it if you comment on his style of the TARDIS! Just deal with it!" he sighed and then spotted his wife and daughter, ran to them and neatly crushed them to his chest. "You two scared me silly!" he still held them close, even when both started to squirm with lack of breathable air. Raggedy had got caught by Rory and was crushed between River's and Rory's legs. He decided to stand up, this of course broke apart Rory's death hold on his two girls, and gave Raggedy a very sour look. "I missed them alot." he said sadly, Raggedy patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "I know Rory-the-Roman, but I think our girls need to breath as well as being hugged from being missed alot." Rose ran to John and flung herself at him, he responded by lifting and spinning her round and round in a circle. Strax stomped down the stairs to Vastra and Jenny and grumbled about how he had to put away some pointless books. Mickey and Martha walked in arm in arm, and sent a cheeky smile across at River, Raggedy and the Doctor. All three gave back a confused look. "We were in the Library...apparently you spent alot of time in there alone!" Mickey winked. The group gave strange looks at all three. River looked straight at her dad, accusingly. Raggedy blushed and the Doctor concentrated on his diagnosis of his ship.

"You catch us kissing once and you never let us forget!" Raggedy suddenly huffed. "Honestly dad, you're so humiliating!" River pouted and rested her head on her fists. The Doctor coughed, "I agree with Raggedy, why is it so amusing? We're married after all!" Amy shook her head, "We caught our daughter snogging our best friend, it was hilarious, my Melody, you can blush!" River burrowed her face into her hands, "Mum!" She groaned. Raggedy decided that to avoid the embarrassment of facing his parents-in law, he would help his older self. Both tinkered away on the ship for a while, to no avail. River jumped up suddenly and opened up the central Column. She used her sonic on a small bracket, and a spark sizzled from a wire nearby. "There girl, is that better?" she cooed softly. The ship sprang to life, humming happily. A full diagnosis was displayed on the screen. Raggedy huffed and stomped over "Did she talk to you again?" he said in a aggravated tone. River laughed softly, "Sweetie, she always talks to me!" the ship agreed with a chiming sound like laughter, to which River joined in. The Doctor shook his head happily, "Raggedy, stop being jealous and come here." Raggedy obeyed and scuffed over to him. "Right gang we are in Cardiff, 21st May, 2014. Near the Torchwood base. Jack lead the way!" The Doctor pointed to the American, who was busy brushing down his coat. "Huh! Oh! Yes, er Doctor why is River giving me that look?" He said nervously. The two timelords bent round to spy their fiance's face, then laughed. "Oh! That look," Raggedy said "She likes you!" Jack swept his hair back smoothly, "Well Doctor, looks like your wife finally sees good taste!" Jack said, puffing his chest out. River spurted out laughing, along with the Doctors. "She likes you, that isn't her face when she's in love with you! That face is purely for me!" the Doctor said smugly, River playfully smacked his arm, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Fine, this way to Torchwood!" Jack grumbled and marched off out of the TARDIS, the other following, giggling at the scene that had just played out.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry i haven't updated in a while, i've been packing for my move to university! Because of the wait i've decided to add the next six chapters to make up for it! I would love to know what you think so far...**

The cog spun open, revealing a darkened room, with white oil cloths covering all the surfaces. Jack walked off into the darkness and the group stood in the light radiating from the doorway, Clara heard nothing but a few scrapings and a disgruntled "Ah man!" as a clanging sound erupted from the inky blackness. The group sniggered as the lights flickered on. There in front of them stood, or rather hopping, was Captain Jack Harkness, time agent extraordinaire and supposed 'God's gift to the universe', whinging and clutching his right foot. He then of course saw the group's faces and put his foot down, leaning against a pillar. "As I said, I knew exactly what I was doing, no problem Docs!" he said, hanging his fingers in his lapels and giving a cheesy USAF 'Fly-boy' smile. The Doctors both gave each other a look of uncertainty then pushed everyone into the room and securely locked the Cog door. "Examination room is that way right?" Raggedy thumbed in the direction of a spiral staircase. "No! Wait, that way!" He said and flung his arms toward a large corridor, leading straight out of the main room. Jack nodded, slightly taken aback by the man's sudden outburst. "Great! Wife, older me this way!" Raggedy said, rubbing his hands together, then taking one of River's hands and clapping the Doctor on the back, who took River's other hand and pulled her off, out of sight. River was of course protesting the entire time. Clara giggled and watched as the trio exited the room. "So, what do we do now?" Rose said, looking around and thumbing some files on a desk. "Tea anyone?" Jack asked.

"Stop it! I'm fine! Oh it's just a headache; you don't need to...oh!" River sighed as the Doctor dug his fingers into her temples again, causing River to collapse into his arms. As soon as the Doctors had sat her on the gurney in the examination room, Raggedy had begun running every test he could find in the Torchwood data base, and the Doctor sat himself behind her, and fussed over her, asking all sorts of questions, some she had no idea how they even related to what was wrong with her. When he was satisfied he rubbed her shoulders and temples, occasionally sneaking a kiss on a bare part of her skin, which was either her neck or face. "Doctor," River began but waited until Raggedy sprang up on the gurney and took her hands, rubbing the back of them tenderly. "Doctors. Don't you want to spend time with your companions? As much as I'm enjoying the fuss, they matter to you as well, just as much as I..." she sighed again as Raggedy lay his head on her lap and kissed her hands. "Sweetie?" she asked again, but then realised that both men were quiet. "You have little more than three hours Riv. We have no idea how to save you, there was a way back on Gallifrey, but we don't have that option, you're dying, and there is nothing either of us can do. We just want to spend time with you..." Raggedy whimpered and curled closer to her, River ran her fingers through his hair, grazing his scalp, and making him moan sadly. "I just got you back, when I feared I never would, and now, I'm losing you all over again!" the Doctor raised his voice suddenly, then hid his face in her neck, sobbing angrily. "I saw something in Stormcage." she stated.

"So he just walked up to an army of Zygons and sent them packing with a few scolding words?" Donna gasped in wonder. Amy nodded in response. "And he didn't even scream when a horde of rogue Silurian threatened his life in front of me and Melody." Amy said, puffing her chest out proudly. The group stared in awe as the man in question appeared, carrying a tray of mugs of steaming hot tea. "Tea's here!" Rory cheered, but looked around confused as he entered to a group of wide-eyed faces.

"Erm, what have I done?" Rory asked puzzled.

"You're a hero!" Clara said, bounding up to him.

"It's only tea..." Rory said shyly.

"Oh stupid face, she didn't mean the tea!" Amy said and took a mug off the tray. "Oh...well I'm no hero, I'm just a loving husband and father...and father-in-law... Jack is the real hero here." Rory handed out the tea then sat on a stool, occasionally glancing in the direction of the examination room. Amy sat beside him. "Don't worry about her, the Doctor promised he'd keep her safe, and he's done a pretty good job so far!" she put a reassuring hand on his knee but Rory sighed, "I'm still her Dad. She's still my little girl, no matter what. River is scared, I can see it." Rory suddenly resembled the age he really was, the two thousand years seemed to flicker into his eyes along with a sadness only a father would understand. "Our daughter wouldn't want us worrying about her, we Ponds are made of stronger stuff!" Amy scolded him, Rory smiled and the age vanished as soon as it had appeared.

"So," Rose piped up, drawing everyone's attention. "What other adventures has the Doctor taken you all on?"

"We should head back." River spoke plainly. The two Doctors nodded and took one of her hands each. As much as she hated help off anyone, River admitted that a little assistance was much appreciated in the current circumstances. The two men gently pulled her off the gurney to the floor. Suddenly the pain from Stormcage shot through River's stomach all over again, causing her to yelp, quite startling both men who looked shocked at her outburst. "River! Are you all right?" Raggedy tried to lift her head to face him, but the pain was too much and she pushed him away, breathing heavily. The Doctor, however, held her firm and moved his hand to the offending part of her body, moving his hand in small massaging movements. The pain died down and Raggedy then took her hands and rested them on his shoulders for her support. River was still breathing heavily and was frankly getting so irritated by her current state; she had a rather angry expression on her face which was only soothed when Raggedy bopped her nose, causing her to giggle. "I'm fine now boys, no need to worry, we just need to get going, then I'll be better. I'll go on ahead, there's a tea with my name on it, I bet!" River excused herself and walked back toward the group's now raucous voices. "That is not a symptom of energy overload." Raggedy said grimly. The Doctor nodded, "We should do a scan." he replied, fixing Raggedy with a cold stare, to which the younger man gave an equally steely one in reply. "As soon as possible." he said and then both followed on after River, who they easily caught. She had been walking slowly; the pain was clearly displayed now. "Comon honey, let us escort you back!" Raggedy smiled cheerily, but after River had linked arms with both men he looked behind her at his other self, and his face matched the concern the Doctor didn't even try to hide.


	20. Chapter 20

"What do you mean, you don't know what to do?!" Amy screamed, she ran to Melody as fast as she could, pulled her into her arms and stroked her hair. The Doctors both looked at the floor in silence. "I thought there was an old vortex opening that the Time Lords used. There may have been artefacts there once, but then I remembered I destroyed it when a group of human scientists tried to reactivate the vortex and take the objects around it." Raggedy said looking up but flinched when Rory marched forward, his chin set in a tense frame. "So that's it? We give up! You never gave up for us, any of us! But because River isn't one of your companions, you give up?" Rory held onto River, but River didn't seem to move, she almost resembled a statue. "Rory I'm sorry, I'm trying, we're trying, but, we don't know what to do..." The Doctor said, not lifting his head. "They died you know..." River lifted her head all of a sudden, "All of them...The Master deleted my team, and Moon deleted Ella and Joshua. Charlotte will be alone...Sweetie, please take care of her..." Charlotte ran to her mum. "Mummy? Please don't die Mummy, stay with me..." Charlotte started to cry and River held her, "Shush now, I'm not giving up yet." River cooed. The Doctor and Raggedy supported River and Charlotte, "We're her daddy, we will always take care of her." they both said, kissing Charlotte's head.

"What will happen if River dies?" Clara asked. "Well, the paradox will continue to exist, Donna, Rose, John, Amy and Rory will remain out of their appropriate time lines, which will rip holes in the universe. The Silence will have won and I will be stuck outside my elder self's head, split from my fellow former faces...and that would result in my time stream breaking apart, destroying the universe." Raggedy replied quickly. "So marry River now!" Vastra hissed. "I have not given up on saving her! Only when there is no time left, will I concede, and there is at least two and a half hours remaining, I've had much less time before and solved plenty more taxing problems than this! I just need to..." The Doctor answered but paused and looked at the screen in front of him, Raggedy and River. "Hello old Friend!" a chillingly familiar voice rang out through the base. "Master! How did you find us?" The Doctor growled, Raggedy seemed to tense and was akin to a cat with hackles raised. "Well, you're not the only genius in the universe." the Master sniggered. "You're right Master, my younger self and my wife are here as well!" the Doctor retorted, making the Master snarl.

"Enough of these games," The Master growled in response "Let's get down to business! Doctor, isn't it nice to have another Time lord among us, and a female at that..." a sick smile spread across the Master's face, making both Doctors reach a hand out to their wife and positioned her behind them. "Leave her alone!" Raggedy roared, but the Master's grin just grew wider. "Oh come now Doctor, learn to share, such beauty should be for the universe to behold, not just you. That is extremely selfish, friend of mine." the master berated the Doctors mockingly. "She is not yours, she doesn't belong to me, she is free!" Raggedy held River to his chest and hid angry tears from his foe. "No," the Master replied coldly, "she is mine..." he laughed. "Doctor?" River whimpered. Raggedy uncurled her from his arms and his eyes widened, the Doctor joined him by her side. River's fingers were glowing a pale white. "Sweetie, what's going on? What's happening?" she said, panic in her eyes. The Doctor held her hands but the white glow had now spread all the way up her arms and her legs were now glowing. "Master, please, don't do this, let me have these last few hours with her, please!" the Doctor begged, but the Master just shook his head. With that River's entire body was obscured from view. When the glow disappeared, River was not in the base, but her struggling voice was still audible, both Doctors turned to the screen, to see River being held fast by two very large, fierce-looking men, her arms and legs kicking and struggling against them, her voice cracking but the men just gripped tighter.

"River stop!" the Doctor cried, she did, her chest heaving. The Master tapped his fingers on the control panel in front of him, "I'm sending you my coordinates, come out to play! I'm bored! I want some fun!" the Master said, spinning on his foot and turning off the screen. The group stood in silence, except Amy, who was sobbing and Rory, who was stunned, tears running down his face. The Doctors both ran toward the exit, and unbolted the door, "Comon!" The Doctor called back to the group. "We're going to get her!" Raggedy added. The group followed blindly, until they got to the TARDIS. "What are you both planning?" Clara asked. "He wants to play..." Raggedy growled and clicked open the TARDIS doors, before stomping inside. "We'll give him a game he'll never forget," The Doctor ushered everyone into the console room, gently holding both Amy's and Rory's hands. "Let the game commence..."


	21. Chapter 21

"...And then we all meet back here, River is back with us and we run far away from the Master!" Raggedy proclaimed proudly. The Doctor found his younger self awfully good at rousing speeches, he usually just terrified people, "Just goes to show what family does for you..." he surmised in his head solemnly. The bow-tie wearing doctor had finished organising people, carefully placing Amy and Rory together, and leaping back, clearly fearing the right hook of the centurion. The Doctor chuckled to himself, gaining an angry pout from Raggedy who then pretended to swat at an invisible fly, trying, but clearly failing to fake his fear of his own in-laws. "How about we get going?" the Doctor said chuckling again. "Humph," Raggedy replied, "But I call shotgun!" Clara swatted the young man on the shoulder, "We're not even in a plane!" she cried, exasperated. "But I've always wanted to say that..." Raggedy pined. "River would let me..." he grumbled under his breath, but loud enough that everyone heard. "River would roll her eyes and find some way of making you flustered to shut you up." Amy said, shaking her head. "Enough mucking around," the Doctor announced, clearing his throat "Team TARDIS, to your positions..." The Doctor clicked open the doors and they all stepped out into a maintenance shaft in what appeared to be the bows of a large and dirty ship. Charlotte was about to follow when the Doctor and Raggedy held her back, "Stay with your grandmother." Raggedy said, stroking her hair, then stood and followed his companions of the TARDIS. The Doctor picked her up and placed her delicately on the pilot seat. He held her close, "I know you want to help, but this is far too dangerous a place. The Master would use you against me, I can't let you get hurt, I made a promise to your mum, and as your dad, I love you far too much to see you harmed. The TARDIS will take care of you." He kissed her head and scrunched his eyes up. "I'll stay Dad, don't wander off right!" Charlotte said looking up at him. The Doctor smiled. "Do you miss your brother and sister?" he asked her. The flash of sadness that fell across the young girl's face was all the Doctor needed to know. "Mum does too... I don't suppose we could get them back. Mum's team as well. It would make her so happy, and you would be a dad to three children. Ella was amazing at engineering and Joshua could translate any language he came across. I can write computer code and bake the best lemon drizzle cake known to the 51st century!" the Doctor tapped the small girl on the nose, "You don't need to prove how worthy you are to be my children, I'm sure River told you the exact same thing." he wiped a stray piece of hair from her face. "Yes, she did..." Charlotte sighed. "Well listen to your Mother then!" he laughed and the girl giggled with him. "Now stay here, and don't eat too many of my jammy dodgers, your grandma will be all too happy to let you eat them all! I promise you, we will all come back Charlotte Song, and we will bring them back, everybody lives!" the Doctor kissed Charlotte and ran out of the TARDIS.

A squelching noise could be heard as the group walked away from the ship. "Ugh!" Donna wiggled her foot, "Please tell me this goo isn't something from a living thing!" she said, scrapping it off with a metal bar she found on the floor. "No, it is a living thing. It is a Deccinaferon, very useful cleaning creatures and perfectly harmless unless you insult its mum. This one is called Beryl." Raggedy chimed, receiving a high-pitched, "Eww!" from Donna and the group all backed away from the slimy, brown goo. The two Time Lords shrugged, "Well you did ask!" the Doctor sighed. The group continued a little way and then reached a fork in the corridor. The walls had widened out by this point and given way to a red and black smooth wall, more like the usual get up a space ship had. The group were about to split up and begin their plan when a large blue light surrounded the gang and grew around them. "Doc, what is this?" Jack said and along with others, pointed a huge gun at the field. "Put your guns down!" the Doctor shouted, the group obeyed. "This is a sleeping field, we're all going to go to sleep, very, very...short..." the Doctor flopped to the floor, followed immediately after by Raggedy. "Erm, what do we do now?" Clara asked but watched as all the others fell on each other, to the floor, snoring softly. Clara fought off sleep long enough to see a dark, familiar figure walk up to the field. Her mind lost consciousness just as the cold, harsh laugh of the Master filled her ears.

"Wake up!" a panicked voice sounded in Clara's ears, "Wake up! You have to wake up now!" the voice spoke again in a rushed whisper. Clara opened her eyes to reveal Martha, the owner of the voice, shaking her awake. Clara scrubbed her face and looked around. The other members of team TARDIS were already awake, apart from both Doctors who were still fast asleep. The past Doctor's hair had flopped over his face and he looked puppy-like. The current Doctor's mouth hung open but, like his younger self, looked peaceful. Clara was about to wake them when both shot awake and stumbled round the room, banging into who or whatever was nearest. This included Strax, whom the younger Doctor used as a leaning post before falling flat on his face, with a smack, then stood again, adjusting his bow-tie and re-setting his chin with a cracking noise. "I hate sleeping bubbles!" he moaned and scrubbed his eyes angrily. The Doctor on the other hand, had better balance and had already stabilised himself upon two legs and was patting himself down, muttering in an annoyed tone. Clara was about to ask what he was doing, when Raggedy answered her question with a similar action to the Doctor except much more loudly and with many more hand expressions. "THEY TOOK MY SONIC!" he screamed and span in an angry circle. The Doctor nodded and held Raggedy in front of him, "They took mine as well. Be patient." he said, staring straight into the young Doctor's eyes and the then, satisfied at his younger self's calmer attitude, turned to the group. "We will get out of this, it just might be a little longer than expected till we can relax with a nice cup of tea." he soothed but a voice behind him unsettled the Doctor to no end. "You're still obsessed over that watery drink, aren't you...you never really change your habits at least." The Master strode toward the group. Clara then noticed that they had been moved from the dark corridor into an atrium. The Earth could be seen from the massive window that encompassed a semi-circular wall. In the centre of the room, was a raised platform with controls, "Presumably for the ship." Clara deduced from the large wheel in the centre. The wall behind them had an entrance, blocked by two large doors, "So only one exit then..." Clara thought glumly. The Master seemed to sense this and thumbed at the two large guards that were holding River earlier. They were stood in front of the aforementioned doors. Clara looked around but saw no sign of River. "Is she safe?" The Doctor said. Clara realised the Doctor's mind was obviously on the same page as her. The Doctor took a step toward his nemesis, Raggedy by his side. The Master laughed, "Perhaps you should ask River herself. Come in Song!" the Master shouted toward the door. The guards stood aside and the doors opened. River walked in, but no guards were holding her and she had a smug look on her face. Clara looked to the Doctors but she was greeted by two faces filled with disappointment and shock. "Why River?" The Doctor whispered. "He offered me my life; in return I had to lure you here. I want to live, and luring you here was easy. I just had to fool you long enough to get you to Earth. As I told you in Berlin, love is the cruellest weapon." she looked to the Master, "Now you promised me my life, you better deliver..." she growled, the Master took a dense black orb from his pocket. River walked over and took the orb. Regeneration energy began to flow from her hands but instead of spreading around her, the golden streams were absorbed into the black orb. Suddenly the golden light ceased and River handed the orb back to the Master, and she turned to the group. "What was that?" Amy tugged at Raggedy's arm "One of the Master's artefacts he stole from Gallifrey. The Time Lords would use the orb when a Time Lord absorbed too much of the time vortex. The material the orb is made is an element only found on Gallifrey, that's why I was looking for old vortex openings, looks like it didn't matter!" Raggedy's voice went bitter at the end. The Doctor maintained silence, just staring, coldly straight in front of him. River looked across at the Master, "I'll go and check the systems, I don't trust those engineers!" she walked toward the door, but both the Doctors grabbed her wrists. Clara thought she saw a smile flash across both men's faces but it was so fast Clara quickly dismissed it. River yanked her wrists away and the Doctors let go. She huffed and swaggered out of the doors, but not before looking back at the Master and smirking at his gawking expression. "I must say," the Master turned his gaze back to the Doctors "She is rather ravishing, I can very easily see why you fell for her, I quite like her myself." Clara felt a little sick at the Master's interest, though in her mind, if River deserted the Doctors and her family, then she got what she deserved. The Master clicked his fingers, causing an echo to traverse the atrium and enter the corridor. About twenty Guards appeared from the double doors and surrounded the group. "But I bore of you now..." the Master yawned mockingly "Take them to the cells!" he ordered, and the group were shoved out of the doors and into the dark corridor. Clara didn't care for the darkness much; it seemed to match everyone's mood perfectly.


	22. Chapter 22

"What do we do?" Donna shook the bars but gave up when no response was given to her, she joined the others slumped against the walls. She looked up to the Doctors who were still stood against the bars. Donna could understand the pain of being betrayed by the one you love. The River she had met had seemed like a truly good-natured person, but then all people can lie and some lies hurt more than others. Professor Song's had ripped through all of the people around Donna, especially the Time Lords who now looked lost, their eyes dark and their faces set with angry scowls.Donna overheard mutterings around her, all of them insults in River's direction. The Doctor overheard, as did Raggedy, for both turned and shouted for the group to be quiet, before chests heaving, they turned back to the bars.

Some guards appeared a few minutes after this with a large cauldron and bowls with a ladle. They handed out the bowls with some form of broth but no one seemed very hungry. Most of the guards then left; however one guard was stood near the Doctor and went right up to the bars in front of him. Raggedy stood next to his elder counterpart and the guard walked off, but stumbled slightly and followed on after the others. The Time Lords both sat down on the cot and both fiddled with something in their coats. Donna looked down at her meal, "I suppose I need to eat..." she thought and was about to take a spoonful when the Doctor turned his hawk stare onto her, "Donna don't, we don't know what's in that!" he stood up and tipped the contents of his bowl into the cauldron before throwing the bowl at the opposite wall, and then sitting down. The bowl, which was metal, landed and clattered noisily on the floor. Everyone else followed suit, except without the bowl throwing. Raggedy did something even more different, unsurprisingly, and tipped out the contents onto the floor. The group looked at him disgusted, bar Raggedy 's older self who nodded at him as one of the cleaning blobs Donna had stepped on earlier entered the cell, sensed the spilt food and moved toward it. As the blob did so, two big eyes and a large mouth appeared. When it reached the food, it began to eat. After the food was eaten, the blob fell into a deep sleep, snoring softly.

Donna looked up from the blob to hear footfalls echoing down the corridor. The footsteps grew louder until the owners appeared at the bars. "I came to see how my guests are doing!" the Master mocked. Neither Doctor replied. "How could you betray us River?" Amy pleaded to her daughter, who was stood behind the Master, head hung towards the floor. "Betray you! She has bargained for her life, and she is the only one who will survive." the Master replied, pulling River next to him. Donna noticed the slight wince River gave when the Master moved his face near her, but the Master didn't seem to notice. "I contacted the Silence; they will be taking you all off my hands. I can't imagine how long you're going to live after that...sorry!" he laughed. "And you get River right?" the Doctor growled. "That was my deal with the Silence. I own River now, she is all mine!" he boasted and proved it by kissing her. The group stood in shock, the Master and River broke apart and she turned away toward a computer opposite the cell. "Well, I must say Doctor, you certainly have good taste, she really is amazing." the Master smiled. "Yes, she is!" Raggedy smiled back. The Master narrowed his eyes at the younger Doctor's sudden confidence. "Why are you so happy?" he asked. "Because we've won! Again..." the Doctor answered, matching Raggedy's grin.

The Master's confidence started to falter. "Guards!" he called out. A few seconds passed but no guards turned up. "Guards? Guar..." The Master's legs seemed to give way under him. "River, what have you done?" he gasped, his eyes fluttered. "She gave you a rather potent sleeping draft, as she did with all your guards in the broth they all ate." The Doctor smiled. Donna realised then, "You knew all along didn't you." she said to the Doctors. "Does that mean River is on our side?" Clara whispered. Amy and Rory joined the Doctors at the bars. "River has always been on our side." The Doctor answered. "I didn't eat any of the broth...how did she poison me?" the Master said, flopping against the bars and tilted his head against the bars to look up to the two Doctors smug faces. "Kiss, Kiss..." River purred. The Master's eyes closed.


	23. Chapter 23

The Doctor unlocked the cell and the group all filed out into the corridor. "Right, all the guards are asleep, the Master is out of the way. We just need to get to the TARDIS and..." Raggedy froze mid-winning speech and stared at River. The Doctor had walked straight over to her when he left the cell and had bundled her into a hug. "I need to go and thank my wife, be right back!" he skipped over and flung himself against River, receiving a withering look from the Doctor in response. "Thank you honey!" he said and nuzzled her neck, immersing his face into her curls. "I'm sorry it took so long...I had to get him to trust me." River whimpered. The Doctor raised her face to meet his "It's fine, you know, not a minute too soon." he said warmly. "I felt sick, physically sick! Being near to that man," River said, looking at the Master, "is a kin to suffering from pneumonia!" she shuddered as if at some distant memory. "But it is all over now, and you never have to see him again. I wouldn't let you, seeing him kiss you like that. I wanted to knock the air clean out of his lungs, touching MY WIFE, of all people!" the Doctor muttered angrily to himself. The group thought they heard a growl from Raggedy's direction. "How did you know about the orb? How did you know what he wanted? How did the Master even find us?" Clara pelted questions at the Doctors. They both smiled in response.

"River told us about the orb" the Doctor said, tapping River on the nose. "When we were at the Torchwood base, we were on the point of giving up, when Riv told us she saw some objects that resembled Time Lord technology in the Master's office when she was reconstituted into existence." Raggedy continued. "We described the orb and asked whether she'd seen one, and she had. So we had the solution to the overload, but how we got the orb was another problem entirely. It was then River said the Master seemed interested in her at Stormcage. He told River that his deal with the Silence would give him River and the Silence, me and my companions. He offered her a deal to capture me in return for her life. This of course she refused but he placed a tracker on her, which she disabled, as you all saw when we spied on the Silence." the Doctor took over again.

"In Torchwood my elder self and I decided that if River pretended to take up the Master's offer, she would get the orb and be cured. The problem was then how we escaped from the ship." Raggedy looked at River. "I used one of the many drugs I keep on my person, all of which I gave myself immunity to. The sleeping draft seemed most appropriate as it gave us the longest time to escape. After I was healed I poured the draft into the broth the guards were about to eat along with yourselves. That is why the Doctors forbade you consuming any. The Master was the hardest to fool as he didn't eat the guards' food; it was 'below' him apparently. Luckily I have a backup draft in the form of a lipstick I carry. And well, you saw the rest." River looked at both her husbands who smiled encouragingly. "I am on your side, I told you, I could never harm my dear Husband, not permanently anyway." she blushed slightly as both Doctors kissed her on each cheek.

"Ok. Now we need to get out...where are we exactly?" Raggedy let go of River and span in a neat circle. "That way! No, doesn't smell right...That way!" he started to walk when River spoke, "You know dear, you could look at the ship's map I put up on the display when the Master was doing his winning speech." she pointed to the computer she was working at before. "The exact computer I was looking at after she finished typing at it!" the Doctor flashed a grin at River proudly and puffed out his chest. Raggedy scowled, "I don't like future me..." he could be heard grumbling as he looked at the monitor. "That way!" he pointed down a third corridor and River nodded in support. Raggedy beamed and dragged Clara and Amy off their feet down the corridor spouting "Come along Pond and impossible girl!" the group looked at River and Donna voiced their thoughts "Good job you're marrying him, I would have murdered him by now." River smiled slightly at the Doctor who gave a knowing smile in response. The group started to leave when River turned back toward the Master and bent over him. A metallic click could be heard, and then River, satisfied with her work, turned and linked her arm with the Doctor. "Still the handcuffs!" he laughed. River pouted "Well we need a head start!" she replied in a mockingly innocent tone. The group burst out laughing as the Master snored and all started back to the TARDIS.


	24. Chapter 24

"What are you doing?" Clara screamed as the Doctor flung himself at a lever, sending the TARDIS in yet another stomach-wrenching spin. Clara was really starting to feel light-headed. "The Silence are chasing us through the vortex! I'm trying to increase speed!" the Doctor grasped tightly onto another lever and growled as the ship made an unhappy whine, and shuddered dangerously loudly for Clara's liking. "River, go to the engine and ask her what's going on! See if you can get anything more out of her!" the Doctor looked to his wife pleadingly, who nodded and vaulted over the railings and down a small hatch at the central column. "I can help old man," Raggedy said, looking up from the monitoring screen "though the energy strain could prove too much for the old girl." he continued, stroking the TARDIS. "Maintaining us in one reality hasn't destroyed her, and it will definitely increase our speed!" the Doctor agreed excitingly. Raggedy nodded and sprinted to the doors of the TARDIS. "Ready?" Raggedy looked to his elder self. "Ready!" The Doctor said. Clara noticed him pressing a large green button on the console. Raggedy clicked open the doors and stood at the entrance. "What are you going to do?" Amy asked him, worry etched into her voice. Raggedy grinned. "Geronimo!" he shouted and leaped out of the TARDIS into the vortex.

The group all screamed. "Hey, that was fun! River is right, jumping off things is cool!" the group fell silent at Raggedy's voice floating through the TARDIS. "Where are you?" Clara asked, annoyed by the man's apparent lack of care for his own existence. "Look at the monitor screen!" he answered like a child. The group did and were amazed to see the large-chinned man in an different version of the TARDIS they were currently in. "I called an earlier version of the old girl to pick him up." the Doctor explained. "Hold on, we're joining the two ships together, two engines, should increase our speed." Raggedy beamed as a clunking noise could be heard. "Speaking of which," the Doctor continued, "River! Have you found out what's wrong yet?" he called down toward the hatch River disappeared through before.

Silence yet again fell over the group before the TARDIS made a happy squealing sound and seemed to increase the frequency of her usual noises. "Take the break off, that might help, she hardly has any pads left. I'm going to have to spend hours fixing this, days even!" River's annoyed voice wafted from down below. The Doctor flicked a blue switch and the groaning noise ceased. "You as well Sweetie!" she said to Raggedy, who huffed and disappeared, again ceasing the groaning noise. "Blue boringers..." he muttered under his breath. "Handy!" The Doctor turned to the man. "How far are the Silence from us now?" Handy ran to the monitor, a smile spread across his face. "They're falling behind! Just a bit longer..." the group held their breath "Gone! Their engines have cut out! We've done it!" John cheered, his face washed with relief.

The group all danced with joy, hugging and spinning, laughing and congratulating each other as Raggedy jumped back through the doors and the other TARDIS disappeared. "It saves energy so the TARDIS doesn't explode again." Raggedy explained. River appeared from the central column and was quickly embraced by her parents who were all chattering excitedly at River about the amazing escape. The Doctors both smiled at their friends and family and stood at the console, admiring their greatest treasures in the universe. "We are truly blessed." The Doctor said, surveying the group. "Yes, it is a shame this has got to end..." Raggedy sighed next to him. The Doctor turned to his younger self. One day old friend, we will find a way..." the Doctor patted Raggedy's shoulder. "Oh look at us old man, we are quite sentimental..." Raggedy said, nudging the Doctor. "Or just plain old..." the Doctor nudged back. "Oi, spacemen!" Clara called from her group of Vastra, Jenny and Strax. "You promised us a wedding!" both men nodded with happiness and ran towards the Victorian trio and their current companion, but failed to remember no one was flying the ship.

The TARDIS of course lurched violently, nearly knocking the gang off their feet. A grinding sound could be heard before unhealthy clunking and spluttering noises signaled yet another lurch. Clara expected the end and shut her eyes. "All that danger and we're killed by distractions when driving... Well at least it's a good message for kids learning to drive...well fly, not that there's any one to see us die. Why can't this end!" she thought. Suddenly the noise stopped. Clara opened one squinted eye a tiny way and saw a blurred figure at the console with a halo around their head. "We're not dead!" shouted Rose but it sounded more like surprise than a voice of relief. Clara opened her eyes fully. The haloed figure was revealed to be River. Her famous scowl was directed behind Clara. She turned and saw two very disheveled Time Lords, upended over the railings, legs and arms foundering as if swimming in some invisible ocean. Both righted themselves and readjusted their appearance before turning and with very timid expressions, meekly walked over to their wife. "Thank you, Honey..." Raggedy whimpered to his wife, wringing his hands like a guilty schoolboy. River reacted simply by folding her arms over her chest and tapping her foot, the scowl, Clara noticed, was unchanged. "What would we do without you?" the Doctor continued breezily. River cocked her head to one side and turned back to the console, continuing to fly the ship. Both Time Lords looked at each other with an uncertain expression. "River, sweetheart?" the Doctor said, trying to intercept River as she moved around the console to pull a lever, River dodged him. The TARDIS shuddered then shook slightly, "Hold on!" River ordered, the crew obeyed. A few seconds of shuddering then the ride seemed to smooth out. River pulled a large lever and slumped into the pilot's chair.

Both Doctors ran to her side. "You stopped flying her when we were approaching a temporal fluctuation..." River panted for air, Raggedy ran to the console, River continued "I had to fly her out of there...she's in full stop now...I need to sleep...I've needed to ever since the excess energy was removed by the orb." the Doctor ran his fingers through her curls lovingly, River's eyes began to close softly. "Why didn't you tell us Riv?" The Doctor said, his voice sounded hurt. "Never show the damage... I was feeling weak, for long enough, thank you!" she replied sleepily. "Oh, Song, no more spoilers. If you're hurting, just let me know, I'll always fight the pain away." the Doctor nuzzled her nose. Raggedy smiled in the mirror fondly at his older self, then returned to his wife's side and also ran his fingers through her hair. River was nearly asleep by this point "My silly boys, I still hate you sometimes." The Time Lords smiled cheekily, "No you don't!" they both chuckled and both rested their heads in her neck and curls. River sighed and fell off to sleep and the Doctors repositioned River so she lay on the pilot's seat. Charlotte reappeared from the bows of the TARDIS, leapt onto the seat next to River, and curled up under River's arm. "Mummy...love you...Daddies love you...we're free...everybody lives." she slurred as she fell to the lures of slumber. The Doctor looked at his younger self, who nodded. "One more stop before wedding planning can begin." the Doctor said and started to fly the TARDIS. "Where are we going?" Clara asked. "I have a promise to keep to my daughter, and a present to give to my wife." the Doctor smiled. Raggedy span in a small circle. "Let's go old man!"


	25. Chapter 25

**Firstly appologies to those waiting, I started Uni so I've been busy settling in...**

**Secondly, i've decided to post all remaining chapters, partly because I want to write other things and also because I'm not sure exactly when I will next have time to post such an amount.**

**Finally, I would love to know what you all thought, so any reviews of any sort are much appriciated and any suggestions for stories or one-shots or even possibly a sequel...but let's not get hasty...I loved writing this, I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! xxx**

She was beautiful, everyone agreed. The two Time Lords were telling a story about a fountain they had dragged out of the TARDIS basement for decoration in the gazebo from some past adventure they claimed they had rescued the entirety of New New Las Vegas from of a fleet of aliens who believed any form of enjoyment and leisure activity was immoral and wrong. Both stared at their wife-to-be for the longest time. Raggedy's mouth had fallen to rock bottom and his eyes popped out of his head. The Doctor remained motionless, as if any such movement would cause River to disappear again. She was wearing a flowing white dress that made her seem to float across the room toward the Doctors from the TARDIS doors. The corset was fairly tight and had a low back, the skirt itself then followed River's form fairly accurately till it gently stopped at her ankles where a pair of delicate heels met it. As Clara gained a better view of the dress, she noticed golden stitching resembling that of Gallifreyan text was sewn precisely into the skirt. River stopped short of the grooms and bowed her head gently. Her hair, that the Doctors both raved about so often, tumbled down her shoulders in long smooth ringlets and shimmered slightly. Both men bowed far too quickly, giving away the nerves that lay underneath their former bubbly and confident personae. She took a small, almost shy step toward the Doctors, who now stood upright and took one of her arms each. They whispered to each other, then the Doctor announced that food was available and took his younger self and River to one side. Clara noticed River looked sad about something but the Time Lords both comforted her and walked her over to her parents whom she embraced and wiped tears off Rory's face. The Time Lords themselves went off to converse with other companions and River soon followed suit. Clara heard her tummy growl "Food!" she turned toward the buffet tables and smiled. "Fish fingers and custard...River's gonna kill him!" she thought.

After three hours of drinking, speeches, one bad conga line, an amazing rendition of 'Every breath you take' by Rory, 'the self-proclaimed karaoke king' and a not so sober version of 'I will always love you' by John, and a surprising win for Madame Vastra for limbo , though Clara thought she heard the Raggedy murmur something about River being able to trounce Vastra's score and the Doctor whispering how River was ever so supple, gaining both a smack on the arm from the subject of their comments who said the only reason she didn't partake was due to the dress taking her, Amy and the TARDIS far too long to make for it to be ruined by one false limbo step, Clara found herself in a rather odd situation. Not that the company wasn't pleasant, but she felt a little uncomfortable under the admiring eyes of Captain Jack Harkness, who had consumed way too much alcohol. "Hey, you like making soufflés right?" he slurred. "Yes?" Clara replied, though she wasn't really sure where the American was going with his line of drunken questions. "Well you're baking my night wearing such a pretty dress." he smiled a crooked smile and Clara winced. "Did you just hit on me?" she asked. Jack's eyes glazed over for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Is this where the food is?" he stumbled off in search of his next victim; unfortunately, Clara noticed this was River, who was currently talking with Charlotte, Ella and Joshua. The latter two, the Doctor and Raggedy had managed to rescue through some complicated process of going through the 'dustbin' of the computer data base, as he had called it along with River's team by reverse transcribing their data code into a human form. Clara only really understood they were all human again and everyone was 'hunky dory' which was a quote of the younger doctor this time. Clara knew this wasn't going to end well. This was the Doctor's wedding and the drunk best man was trying to flirt with the bride. River caught Clara's eyes just as Jack lumbered over. River rolled her eyes but smiled kindly at the captain none the less. Clara edged closer to hear the conversation.

"Hey you must be an angel 'cos you're the most beautiful being I've seen here all night. How about you and I find our own piece of heaven somewhere more private?" the same grin finished yet another corny pick up line. River looked away for a second then answered in an equally flirtatious fashion "Though that would be lovely, I think you might want a word with these two gentlemen, I believe they asked first..." she smiled sweetly and Jack turned to reveal two rather angry looking Doctors wearing their wedding attire. Jack stumbled backward in fear and River started to laugh. "Hiya, fellas! Just er... erm... warming her up for you. Excuse me miss, erm I mean Professor...I mean er... There's the food table! Bye!" he saluted and scarpered off, River was still laughing and the Doctors smiled in triumph. Clara waited politely till the trio had finished talking then smiled and accepted River's invitation for her to join them.

"Hey, I think Jack's going to regret that in the morning..." River laughed. "I think John and Rory might need to watch themselves as well." Clara replied lightly but the response she got from the others was far from light. The trio smiled in agreement but something was playing on their minds. "I think I need to make a speech." The Doctor sighed and River planted a kiss on his cheek, gaining her a sad smile.

The Doctor walked up the microphone that now stood empty as couples danced slowly, Clara suddenly realised she had yet to see the elder Doctor dance with River and when Raggedy did dance with her they both seemed sad rather than the blissful look of love newly married couples had when they dance on their wedding night. Then it stuck her, River and the Doctor weren't married yet. In fact they had spent the majority of evening with other people particularly those who were brought out of their appropriate timelines.

"I wanted this night to be special, to go on for ever..." the Doctor started, "But the truth is...I know at some point River and I will marry and some of you, those of you who came from the end of our timelines will go back there, I can't stop that, no one can, the vortex will not allow it. I just want you all to be happy, and for some of you I don't know if you are, some of you I know have never found true happiness..." the Doctor's big sad eyes found Donna's. Donna looked down, "You mean Shawn...he and I don't work out?" she whispered. The Doctor nodded sadly. Clara looked across at River who was talking quietly to her children. The quartet all nodded and Ella walked up her older father "Daddy?" she asked and tugged at his jacket. "Yes sweetheart?" he masked his pain. "Me, Josh, Charlotte and Mummy need to do something, can we be excused for about," she looked to River who held up a hand "five seconds?" Ella smiled. The Doctor looked his fiancée with confusion but nodded and Ella re-joined her siblings and mother. River pulled out the Vortex manipulator from her bag and her children all held onto her. "Be right back! We promise!" River smiled then the four vanished in a lightning flash. Five seconds later they were back. The Time Lords both narrowed their eyes, "What did you do?" Raggedy asked suspiciously.

"Spoilers!" River and the children all answered.


	26. Chapter 26

It was time, he knew. The party was going on but the main trio had long been forgotten in drink and music. The Doctor nodded to his younger self and they escorted their wife outside into the dark night. It was quite cold but both the Doctor and Raggedy had warm coats to keep them warm. River however had no form of covering on her shoulders and the Doctor offered his coat. She smiled warmly and accepted it gratefully. "I guess you two are happy then..." Raggedy, who had also offered his coat, sighed. River turned to him. "It's time, my love, you came when I needed you, that's all I could ask for. But it is time, time to sleep. I really do love you, all of you, and you're missing from him," River turned back to the Doctor. "He knows that as well." she stared him down, her eyes steady, "Let's do this with everyone here." she took both Time Lord's hands and turned to the group who had actually noticed the exit of the bride and grooms.

The Doctor and Raggedy both smiled. "Ready?" the Doctor asked her, "For anything you throw my way, my love." River answered. The Doctor looked to Raggedy who produced a bow tie from his pocket and handed it to the Doctor before pulling off his own from around his neck. They wrapped one end around their wrists before handing the other ends to River who wrapped one end around each wrist. "We have to send him back so he has got to hear your name at the same time as me." The Doctor explained. River nodded as their congregation gathered around them. "Amy, Rory...I have to ask you again...please can I marry your daughter?" they both nodded. Both Doctors leant in close to River and whispered in her ears. River whispered something back to both men. "Beautiful." Raggedy cooed "Amazing." The Doctor agreed. "Really?" River breathed. Both nodded softly. The Doctor let go. Raggedy clutched River close to him. "I've gotta go now." his voice broke. River hummed in agreement then broke apart from him, still holding his hands "How do you want me to say it my love?" she said.

"Like you're going to see me again..." he hung his head. River moved close to him again, lifting his chin to meet his eyes with hers. "Until next time sweetie." she answered. Raggedy straightened his bow tie back around his neck.

"Goodbye honey! Melody I really do love you." Raggedy said and kissed River. The same golden glow that brought him into existence surrounded him, nearly blinding the group. When it disappeared, only River remained. The Doctor came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and turned River to face him. "He's happy now, and safely tucked away in here. He loves you, they all do." River put a hand on his cheek. "And you, do you love me?" The uncertainty from the church returned to River's face. The Doctor pulled River so close; her face was inches from his. "All of us, we are one and the same. You of all people should know. Melody Pond, River Song, Child of the TARDIS and..." he whispered her name in her ear again. The Doctor moved his face till his lips were millimetres apart from River's own. "I love you because you love the man behind the face, not the mad man in the blue box, not the healer of planets, not the warrior, not the granddad, the lover or the child. You love me." he rested his forehead against River's "I love you sweetie." she sighed.

"That's why you're my wife, that's why I..." the Doctor stopped talking when he heard a cough.

"Oi lovebirds, kiss already it's cold!" Clara grumbled. River looked at the Doctor and let go of him. "Say goodbye to them. I need to say goodbye to my parents." the Doctor moved away from River's warm embraced and faced his friends. "Rose..." She ran to him and hugged him. "I've got my own Doctor, well his hand but that's one of your most important parts right?" the Doctor laughed. "Yes! Oh I might have a scan if I were you, Rose." he led her back to John who turned a puzzled face at him. "When I first found you all in my TARDIS, I gave you all a medical scan." the couple looked at him worriedly. "Oh, no! It's not bad! In fact congratulations are in order." the Doctor looked smug. "Well?" Rose folded her arms, irritated by his ego. "You're having a baby..." the Doctor answered, as if it were obvious. The pair embraced happily. River walked over and linked arms with the Doctor. "I really wish we could have known each other better." she said to Rose, who agreed. The Doctor led River away and onto Donna. He let go of River's arm and clung to Donna fiercely. "It's alright, I'll be ok." Donna smiled. They parted but the Doctor still looked on sorrowfully. "Trust me Doctor, she will be just fine." River smiled knowingly. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "What happened is fixed, it cannot be changed! What did you do?" he asked her.

"I didn't change anything, I just gave Donna a present, something she deserves, something she was searching for. Think of it as a wedding gift of sorts, I don't like to see you unhappy but I do, too often. I can give you some happiness," she said to the Doctor. River turned to Donna "and I know what I've done will give you happiness as well." Donna looked uncertain at the Doctor who smiled. "The manipulator! Spoilers right?" he nudged his wife gently. "Right." River answered and left the Doctor and Donna to find her parents in the small crowd. "I wanted to show you so many things. You were my friend, you didn't fancy me...You were my old mate." the Doctor sighed. Donna punches him in the arm "Oi! Watch it with the old, spaceman!" they both laughed.

The Doctor turned and saw River in a tight embrace with her parents. The children had also joined in. He ran and joined the family he had gained and was about to lose two of. "Ponds can I speak to you for a moment." he said. River reluctantly let go and the Doctor whispered something to Amy and Rory. River waited till the trio finished whispering and sneaking glances at her before folding her arms and pouting, "What is it? Why are you all so happy?" she growled. "Hey Rory, mood changes already." Amy sniggered. River's eyes narrowed and the Doctor walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Spoilers..." he whispered mockingly. "We've gotta go now sweetheart." Amy touched River's hand and River practically dived into Amy's arms. "Not again mum...please don't leave without saying anything to me, I don't want you to leave without knowing how much I love you! I miss you both so much..." River hid her face in Amy's neck and Rory held River from the other side, planting a kiss in her curls. "We're always with you Mel; we'll always love you..." Rory spoke softly. "You have my feistiness and your father's loyalty, remember that and we will never leave you," Amy said and held River closer then looked to the Doctor. "And you Raggedy man, you took my accent and Rory's nose..." Amy chuckled and pushed River gently into the Doctor's arms.

"It's time Riv." he whispered into her ear. "Ok." she sighed and turned toward the Doctor. The Doctor looked to the group. " I should have given you these a long time ago," the Doctor placed two rings on River's ring finger, one with a small blue crystal set in the centre and the other, a matching ring to the Doctor's own on his ring finger. He then turned to the group. "Well am I going to have to say it or are you lot going to!" he roared and pulled River closer. "YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!" everyone cheered. The Doctor pulled River so close their foreheads touched as before. "I love you Professor River Song, archaeologist." he sighed. "I love you two sweetie." she purred. He kissed her and soon became unaware of certain members of their congregation glowing white and vanishing back to their own times. He only knew that here was his wife, alive and well in his arms, no library ahead, just the future, their future, and he couldn't wait to get started. He just had to tell her what he told the Ponds, that River was...

"Com'on," Jack said, the newlyweds broke apart reluctantly. "You two need a first dance." he slurred, still intoxicated. The Doctor linked arms with River and lead her inside, follows by the remaining crowd, "Well I do love to dance at weddings, don't I wife?" he announced proudly. "Yes dear," River agreed sweetly, the Doctor could feel the it coming, "With all the children..." she laughed "And there's the putdown, I was waiting for, thank you honey!" he replied sarcastically. "You're welcome sweetie!" she answered with equal mockery, but behind it, was the eternal love that the Doctor always knew was there.


	27. Chapter 27

"Here we are Unit base, say hello to Kate for me won't you?" the Doctor waved off Martha and Mickey, who waved and chuckled at a still drunk Jack, who had fallen off a table near the end of the night and though perfectly fine, had slept all through the night since then. He was being escorted back to his flat where he would wake and have the most ear splitting headache known to man after daring Mickey to a Acinni cocktail challenge, winning then proceeding to have five more.

The Doctor shut the doors and noticed River typing in coordinates. Clara and the children were preparing themselves for the adventure the Doctor planed. The Doctor snuck up behind her and squashed her thighs against the console and kissed his way from her collar bone up to her lips before she turned and he let his hands explore her and her hands explore him, a repeat of last night. Just when things were getting interesting, the Doctor heard an awkward cough and broke apart from his wife. Both looked toward the sound and saw Clara, eyebrow raised and arms folded, and the children, with faces mixed with shock and disgust. "What?" the Doctor said innocently, brushing his hair back, where it had been dishevelled by River's roaming hands. "Really? That's all you can say. It's like catching your parents kissing." Clara berated them both then looked to the children, still in complete shock. "Sorry I forgot, they just caught their parents kissing. And you said it wasn't a snog box!" The Doctor noticed a blush creeping up River's cheeks.

"Well, we were just saying," the Doctor stuttered "hello..." he coughed and saw River giving him a withering look. A silence fell over the TARDIS occupants. River suddenly moved and finished typing in coordinates as before then turned to the Doctor. "Time for your present, I think." she purred. The Doctor smiled and rubbed his hands with glee. River flew the TARDIS with ease then landed her with a smooth and pristine grace of a trained hand. "Com'on, otherwise we'll miss it!" she said grabbing his hand and turned to Clara "You as well! All of us, a family outing!" she grabbed Clara's hand and rushed out the ship into a playing field. "London, 2014, lovely place for duck feeding, isn't it." she waved her hand over to a bench with a lone occupant.

"Donna?" the Doctor breathed. He was about to walk over when River stopped him. "She doesn't remember you, I can't fix that but the children and I thought of a certain someone who Donna may find happiness with." the Doctor stopped and waited. Then a flash of lightning appeared along with River, in her wedding dress, the children and a man the Doctor didn't recognise.

"You won't know his face, but his name may be familiar. Go on listen in!" she pushed him forward. Clara walked up till she was beside River.

"What did you mean by 'family outing'?" she asked.

River smiled, "He doesn't have many associates, and even fewer friends. So in a way, we're all his family, it's just some have more of a claim to him than others. I hope we can be friends Clara, he really likes you, I hope you know that. I won't be with him all the time but you can be. He always needs a friend; he doesn't always need his wife." River looked to Clara and Clara smiled, "I think we're friends already. Besides I was your bridesmaid and we both like mystery novels, except apparently you were in a few." both women smiled then as the Doctor bounded back and pulled River into his arms.

"Lee! Lee McAvoy! The man Donna thought she was married to in the Library. They hit it off straight away, you did tell him about the past right. 2014 is no 51st century, there's no phone implants or spaceships, but they do have real green spaces, not artificial ones..."

"Yes, yes dear, we told him. He wanted Donna so badly, he would come to the library every day just to see if she was there. I thought I could put your mind at rest." River said, cutting the Doctor's ramblings short.

"Thank you!" he kissed her cheek "Well while we're all here, let's go play!" he tapped Charlotte and ran off shouting that she was it causing both Ella and Josh to run full pelt away from the small girl. River and Clara both looked at each other. "Always with the running!" Clara shouted across to River as both women ran for cover in the trees. Charlotte caught the Doctor who then ran in search of his wife. "All this running does mad things to my hair!" River muttered back to Clara as they hid. Both stifled a laugh as the Doctor walked by. They smiled at each other again. "We're definitely friends River." Clara thought happily.


	28. Epilogue

"Night mum! Night Dad!" the children all chorused as they ran upstairs. River and the Doctor were sat, curled up on their sofa. "I should probably go and check that they're not staying up, it is a school night." River smiled and moved to get up when the Doctor stopped her. "Let me honey." he kissed her and went upstairs. River was extremely confused. The Doctor was acting strange, even for him. Helping with her equipment, limiting her physical exercise where unnecessary, and enforcing a strict sleeping and eating regime.

River had quite frankly had enough of his behaviour and was going to find out what the man was up to. The Doctor returned and River found her opportunity. She decided to pick up her marked papers for her students at Luna and move them, just to get him to react. He did and insisted he move them to avoid her bending down. "Sweetie? What's going on? Why are you acting like this? I'm fine!" she said but without any warning a pain ripped through stomach and like as before in the Torchwood base the Doctor massaged her stomach till the pain subsided.

"What's going on? I thought I was fine. The orb should have cured me." she clung to the Doctor who rubbed small circles in her back "You are, this isn't to do with the vortex, Riv I need to show you something." he stopped rubbing her back and lead her to the TARDIS, which was parked in her own room in River's house. The Doctor opened the doors and lead River inside. "Me and my younger self noticed the cramps when we were in the Torchwood base, so we did a scan. You might want to see this." The Doctor span the screen to reveal a medical scan of her body but that wasn't what surprised her.

"Twins?" she breathed. The Doctor held her from behind and whispered in her ear. "Darrillium was a special night, wasn't it Honey?"

River's thoughts suddenly jumped to a dark place.

"But what if the Silence take me, what if they hurt them like they hurt me? What if..."

"I will come for you, for them. I will not let them get you in the first place. I love you." the Doctor said a placed a firm kiss against her neck, making River relax again to more pre-motherly thoughts

"Do you know the gender?" she asked.

"No. Either the scan won't tell me or you mother is being her usual secretive self." he brought his hands to her stomach and pressed gently. River hummed. River and the Doctor both sighed, "Spoilers..."

**THE END?**


End file.
